It’s never smart to judge and upcoming mainstream album on a lead single. It’s often the worst of the album. But it’s also fair to judge “Friday Night Heartbreaker” as being pretty bad.
The album captures some of Lainey Wilson’s most impassioned and soaring performances of her career. A lot of great songs and writing also grace these 14 tracks. It’s the production of Jay Joyce that’s disappointing.
There has been big talk about Miranda Lambert returning to her “Texas roots” and her Kerosene era on the new album. There are some interesting tidbits about the album that signal that Miranda might mean business.
Ashley McBryde’s strong suit is taking snapshots from the everyday lives of average working people, and gracing them with unadorned, plainspoken, but deeply potent songwriting poetry.
Ashley McBryde has enjoyed lots of critical success and awards recognition. Now hopefully her new album “The Devil I Know” earns her the breakout success she deserves.
Brandy Clark is one of the most critically-acclaimed country songwriters of our generation, garnering nine Grammy nominations among other accolades, and is a stellar singer and performer to boot. Now she’ll be making another run for critical acclaim on May 19th.
Not since the emergence of Miranda Lambert have we seen a woman surface in mainstream country music with such promise and passion that carries a wide appeal through an infectious personality, and at an advantageous time when everything is aligning to allow her to be utterly successful.
Powerfully evoking stirring elements of American music mythology, pairing them up with a superior understanding of style and presentation, and delivering it all to the rafters with a soaring voice, Orville Peck has taken what should have been a niche-appealing music, and…
It’s called ‘Palomino,’ and it’s a Miranda Lambert record. That means it includes some up-tempo sassy songs, and some slow and meaningful singer/songwriter songs. It means it’s more country than most of the mainstream, but not country enough for the country snobs.
Any time Miranda Lambert releases the lead single to what is (presumably) an upcoming album, it’s worth stopping down and discussing, because it’s commonly a leading indicator as to what direction this modern queen of country music will point the brim of her Stetson.
It’s not that ‘Ruthless’ is terrible or anything. And if you’re a hardcore Gary Allan fan—of which there are a few—you will probably find enough to enjoy to think of the effort as satisfactory. Still, ‘Ruthless’ is full of compromises and half measures, and it’s only country in spurts.
Move aside all you pop country prima donnas of both the the male and female persuasion, because a bona fide redneck warrior princess has just shown up looking to shake up the mainstream scene with unapologetic and boisterous modern country songs served with unabashed attitude and honesty.
Here comes the Brothers Osborne’s new record ‘Skeletons,’ which most certainly has it’s moments. But where Port Saint Joe surprised us for all the right reasons, Skeletons is decidedly much more rock than country, more boisterous than understated, and more riff-driven than lyric-driven.
“If ‘Pawn Shop’ was our introduction, and ‘Port Saint Joe’ was like the first conversation we had with someone over a beer, then ‘Skeletons’ is the moment where you start getting down to the real stuff and showing who you really are,” says John Osborne. “If you really want to get to know us, this is the record to do it.”
With “Stick That In Your Country Song,” Eric Church has once again proven himself to be one of the most bold and ballsy members of the mainstream country class, emboldened by the artistic freedom he’s earned, and willing to do something with it as a platform, and a podium.
Ashley McBryde was already considered one of the best artists from mainstream label crowd, and a bright spot for country music moving forward. With her new album ‘Never Will,’ she cements her place as one of the best current artists in country music, period. Inspired, inspiring, well-performed and written, make ample room in your listening rotation
Ashley McBryde is resetting what we’ve come to expect from mainstream country performers, mainly bringing grit, guts, tattoos, honesty, and plenty of rock attitude to her roosty sound that has made her a favorite of many fans and critics, and had her waking away with the CMA for Best New Artist back in November.
Grammy nominated, CMA-winning, and well-respected and admired songwriter Brandy Clark is prepping the release of a new album called ‘Your Life Is A Record.’ Brandy says the album is country, but can also live in Americana, and is much more personal than her previous works. She also released a new song, “Who You Thought I Was.”
Grammy nominated, CMA-winning, well-respected and admired singer and songwriter Brandy Clark is prepping the release of a new album in the new year called ‘Your Life Is A Record.’ Though details on the new record are still a little light, Brandy did preview the new record recently during a promotional event.
‘Wildcard’ is just that—a spin of the wheel and a roll of the dice, because you just don’t know what you’re gonna get dealt when you cue up the next track. But there’s too much good stuff here to cast it off as just another mainstream country pop record. You have to be willing to dig a little. But it’s ultimately worth the patience and effort.
The first single from Ashley’s upcoming second major label release is everything you want from an Ashley McBryde song. It’s edgy and gritty, but still country in the way the words and melody tell a true story we all can relate to, and deftly employ the double entendre to give it that classic country feel.
Miranda Lambert is back with a big new single called “It All Comes Out in the Wash” ahead of a new album out this fall, and the big question on a lot of people’s minds once the single was released was if radio would play it. But “It All Comes Out in the Wash” makes its entrance with its first week on radio like it was shot out of a canon.
“It All Comes Out in the Wash” is lighthearted and playful, and country and folksy in its mannerisms, if not entirely in its music. Literally built out from a colloquialism by the Love Junkies (Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, and Hillary Lindsey) with an assist from Lambert herself, it calls back to the more classic style of Miranda, with sass and attitude.
It felt quite significant this week when Miranda Lambert revealed that she’s doing something that she hasn’t done over the 14 years and six major studio albums of her career, which is switch producers. A long time collaborator with Frank Liddell, Miranda has let it be known she’s now going with well-known mainstream country producer Jay Joyce.