Dierks Bentley- “Well, Well Whiskey” (Capitol)
This is one of the countless reliably sturdy moments that are generously littered throughout Dierks Bentley’s two-decade catalog, and an inarguably contributing factor to the longevity he’s enjoyed. Classic country drinking-song lyrics paired to Bentley’s unflappable gravel, and his sweet-spot blend of mainstream country and contemporary bluegrass musicianship. It’s not the kind of revelatory turning of the page that we might want from Dierks at this juncture, but it’s still as satisfying as its many peers within his discography.
Mariah Carey- “Type Dangerous” (Gamma)
A soul-tinged blending of Hip-Hop, R&B, and new jack swing is a completely logical sonic direction for Mariah Carey at this point in her career. Not only has she dabbled in such stylings on plenty of occasions in the past, but it serves as both a relevant and safe space for Carey to dabble as he navigates the vocal evolution that the passage of time has dropped at her door. Co-produced with Anderson .Paak and a slew of others, Carey struts through this setting with her signature confidence and sass, but there’s just an extra ounce of oomph missing from its execution. I could totally see Mimi scoring a comeback viral hit on the levels of “Padam Padam” at this point in her career, but it’s going to require a track that feels just a bit more momentous than “Type Dangerous”.
Mary Chapin Carpenter- “Bitter Ender” (Thirty Tigers)
As ever before, the reflective musical poetry of Mary Chapin Carpenter remains an emotional glimpse into the soul of human existence. On “Bitter Ender”, she both celebrates and condemns her perseverance and refusal to give up on a relationship as both the blessing and the curse that it is. Whether it’s as a lover, a friend, or a family member, her biggest rewards and disappointments can all be traced back to this flawed trait. Her hushed and folksy delivery, combined with the haunting harmonica treatment, makes this one of the most arresting of her latter-day releases.
Sabrina Carpenter- “Manchild” (Island)
Allow me to introduce you to 2025’s Song of the Summer…as if you haven’t heard it endlessly already by the time you’re reading this. The positively untouchable Carpenter launches her next album era while its predecessor still has plenty of red-hot irons in the fire, and “Manchild” is the kind of sunshiny, spit-polished bubblegum pop euphoria that has remained faithfully flavorful for generations of music fans. She goes all in on shamelessly shaming her pitiful ex for all his immature downfalls, but of course delivers it through her now-golden shield of grinningly cheerful and infectiously cheeky pop powder.
Tyler Childers- “Nose on the Grindstone” (RCA)
A gripping collision of fabled musical settings: the country mining song and rock’s addict battle-cry, “Nose on the Grindstone” has long-been a rabid fan-favorite in Childers’ live set. Therefore, its release as an official studio recording is in itself a long-awaited victory for his followers, and the results of the record itself will only magnify that glory. The haunting guttural moan of his vocals, combined with the spot-on sparse but intense mountain-rock production brings the grim tale to life with all of the raw, ominous emotion that it warrants, and that Childers and his fans have always envisioned for it. It’s the latest career moment from an artist whose artistic vitality seems to continually craft new benchmarks for it to aspire for.
The Doobie Brothers featuring Mavis Staples- “Walk This Road” (Rhino)
A suitably proud, reflective, soul-stirring, and communal anthem to mark and celebrate the legendary band’s half-century-plus of vibrant, genre-blending rock output. Band-members Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons, and Tom Johnston are all given lead-vocal time to spotlight their own unique contributions to the band’s ever-diverse sonic identity, but there’s no denying that the side-by-side vocals from McDonald and guest, Mavis Staples is the kind of sparkling, explosive statement you’d expect from such a combination. As the Doobies have reliably delivered time and time again, “Walk This Road” is a surging, simultaneously simple but colorful slice of feel-good rock & roll.
Parker McCollum- “Killin’ Me” (UMG)
McCollum has been nimbly balancing his music on that fine-line of mainstream country, Red Dirt, and Americana for sometime now. His newest, self-titled release has been notably touted for leaning harder into the rootsier, more artistic elements of that balance. “Killin’ Me” is not the most prominent example of this from the record, but is a sturdy effort nonetheless. It benefits from a seductive, bluesy edge without sacrificing any brooding Texas twang, and McCollum rightfully recognizes the limits of his vocal range, so as to not buckle underneath the thicker sonic weight. It just never quite elevates to that next level of impactful memorability.
Purple Disco Machine featuring Retrosonix- “Ghost Town” (Sweat It Out)
Once again, these retro dance revivalists successfully unwrap an unmitigated disco banger as if it were the late 60s, and we were experiencing this sonic style for the first time ever. The slapping beats, slick melodies, and elastic vocals are from guests Retrosonix, per usual, just so flawlessly and smoothly produced and delivered by sonic genius Tino Piontek. It all feels so classic and surprisingly fresh at once. “Ghost Town” immediately ranks among their Sophie and the Giants collabs, “In the Dark” and “Hypnotized” among their very best, viral-worthy moments. In a just world, this would be every bit the worldwide smash as “Manchild”.
Sunny Sweeney- “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” (Thirty Tigers)
Brashly blunt, unapologetically twangy, and humorously visceral. Pure, unfiltered, proudly feminine honky-tonk. In other words, “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” is vintage Sunny Sweeney, and she seems to just be growing more and more confident and prophetic with each successive release. As said ad nauseam when previously reviewing Sweeney’s music, it’s easy to imagine this is what The Chicks or Miranda Lambert would sound like if they ever took a hard-turn back to their Texas roots. But frankly, their catalogs are excellent as they presently are, and its hard to imagine either of them mastering this style has convincingly as Sweeney herself.
Alex Warren- “Ordinary” (Atlantic)
Yes, this song’s been out for nearly a half-year by now, but its seismic chart domination has rendered it almost obligatory to review at this point. There’s no doubt that “Ordinary” has secured its place as a significant part of 2025’s pop music story, and I do think it has qualities which warrant it to a point. The illuminating guitar work is a wonderfully nuanced but impactful flourish that gives the entire performance a spell-binding quality. And Warren does match it with a rousing vocal, even if it already shows signs of a notably limited scope in his range, that could dangerously border on monotony. There’s legitimate talent here, and it will be very interesting to see how he capitalizes, and evolves, on and from this record’s explosive success.
The 706 
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