DISClaimer Single Reviews (7/05/12)

Kip Moore is a star.

That is all you need to know this week. His entire Up All Night album is a joy from start to finish. Its track, “Beer Money,” wins Kip Moore an undeniable Disc of the Day award. It’s his second such nod in a row from this column, and we all know what happened last time.

If you must have a Female and a Group winner, they would be Lauren Alaina and The Lost Trailers. Both of them also have fine new releases this week.

The DisCovery Award goes to Runaway Home. This new trio reminds us how refreshing a dash of harmony-laced folk can be in a country-music diet.

TRACE ADKINS/Them Lips (On Mine)
Writer: Jim Beavers/Tom Shapiro; Producer: Kenny Beard, Mark Wright & Mickey Jack Cones; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime/EMI Blackwood/Little Dooey, BMI; Show Dog Universal (CDX)
—Lightly funky, with a cool, wah-wah guitar and a drawling, bluesy lead vocal. There’s a dandy instrumental break and a similar instrumental fade at the end. Very listenable.

MARTY STUART & BUCK TRENT/Tear This Woodpile Down
Writer: Marty Stuart; Producer: Marty Stuart; Publisher: Marty Stuart, BMI; Sugar Hill (CDX)
—Romping and rousing. Embellished with lickety-split electric guitar work and double-time drumming.

SHOOTER JENNINGS/The Real Me
Writer: Shooter Jennings; Producer: Shooter Jennings; Publisher: Wolf’s Tale, ASCAP; eOne (CDX) (615-861-4232)
—Loping through the barroom, a little unsteady of foot and weaving to and fro. Relaxed and charming, even when it picks up speed and volume at the finale.

SARA EVANS/Anywhere
Writer: Matt Evans/Jaren Johnston; Producer: Nathan Chapman & Sara Evans; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Uncle Matt/Sony ATV Harmony/Texa Rae, BMI/ASCAP; RCA
—“Heads Carolina, Tails California” explored this topic earlier, and better.

JASON CASSIDY/Ride of Your Life
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; A-Blake/Smith Music Group (www.jasoncassidymusic.com)
—All amped up and nowhere to go. It’s the one about a hot gal, a cold beer and a truck on a red-dirt country road. Again.

LAUREN ALAINA/Eighteen Inches
Writer: Kelley Lovelace/Ashley Gorley/Carrie Underwood; Producer: Byron Gallimore; Publisher: EMI April/Taperoom/Bug/Music of Windswept/Songs of Southside Independent/Carrie-Okie, ASCAP/BMI; Mercury/19/
Interscope (track)
—Sweetly soaring and irresistible. Two crazy kids elope and head for California without a dime and no prospects in sight. You see, when you’re young and in love “there ain’t no greater distance than the 18 inches between your head and your heart.” It’s a lovely piece of songwriting, and she sings the fire out of it. So nice I played it twice.

JASON STURGEON/Time Bomb
Writer: Jason Sturgeon; Producer: Greg Archilla & Jason Sturgeon; Publisher: Jason Sturgeon, BMI; Tool Pusher (www.jasonsturgeonmusic.com)
—The title refers to a high-performance car. He doesn’t actually “sing” this. It’s more like alternating between growling and screaming. Before it was even half over, I was yelling, myself: “Shut Up!”

KIP MOORE/Beer Money
Writer: Kip Moore/Blair Daly/Troy Verges; Producer: Brett James; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/Against the Wind/Songs of the Corn/Southside Independent/Internal Combustion/Kickin Grids/Songs of Universal/Songs From the Engine Room, BMI; MCA Nashville (track)
—He sings with such conviction and passion. The track rumbles with muscular energy. And the lyric of escape from the stifling everyday routine will resonate with anyone who has ever been young. This rocks my world.

THE LOST TRAILERS/American Beauty
Writer: Mason Douglas/Josh Osborn/Matt Jenkins; Producer: Stokes Nielson; Publisher: none listed; HRT/New Revolution/Stokes Tunes (615-331-9631)
—Wonderfully catchy and melodic. This lilting, smiling performance sounds exactly like summertime and deserves massive radio airplay.

RUNAWAY HOME/Bye Bye Baby Jane
Writer: none listed; Producer: Runaway Home; Publisher: none listed; Cub Creek (track) (www.runawayhomemusic.com)
—Remember The McCarters? Lisa, one of the trio’s twin sisters, is now a vocalist in this delightful, folkie, acoustic-based, harmony-happy ensemble. The other two Runaway Home members — Mark Elliott and Gary Culley — provide the group with a clutch of hearty, well-penned songs, including this highly tuneful lead-off track of its debut CD. Extremely promising.