DisClaimer: Trio Riding High

The guys and the gals are canceling each other out this week. Jason Cassidy and Toby Keith have the two finest new male singles, and they are equally potent. Likewise, womanly Debbie Cochran and girlish Sarah Darling both have super strong singles, although in completely different ways. That leaves room for the group Blue Sky Riders to ride to the rescue with the Disc of the Day. I know you’re probably sick of reading me rave about this trio (Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman), but I’m not going to stop until every one of you goes out and buys the album and hears what I’m talking about. So there. Nobody wins a DisCovery Award in this edition of DisClaimer.
TRACY LAWRENCE/Footprints on the Moon
Writers: Ben Hayslip/Dallas Davidson/Rhett Akins; Producers: Flip Anderson & Tracy Lawrence; Publishers: WB/Get a Load of This/EMI Blackwood, ASCAP/BMI; LMC (CDX)
-Tempo for your summer playlist, plus an ultra-romantic lyric. Soaring sonics.
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW/Carry Me Back To Virginia
Writers: Secor/Haynes/Watson; Producer: Ted Hutt; Publishers: Blood Donor/Broken Banjo/Spirit One, BMI; ATO (CDX)
-This acoustic band is currently riding high as the co-writer of Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel.” This just-released, fiddle-tune pep-fest is for the frisky clogger in all of us. Folk flavored and earthy, it’s a tongue-tripping performance with a built-in smile.
TOBY KEITH/Drinks After Work
Writers: Natalie Hemby/Luke Laird/Barry Dean; Producer: Toby Keith; Publishers: EMI Blackwood/Wruckestrike/Songs of Universal/Creative Nation/Country Paper/Pulse Nation/Twangin and Slangin, BMI; Show Dog
-He is propositioning in the nicest way in this scampering ditty. Hey, where’s the harm in a little conversation during Happy Hour? As usual, Toby sings with enormous charm and personality.
JASON CASSIDY/Blame It On Waylon
Writers: Rhett Akins/Josh Thompson; Producers: Greg Hunt and Jason Cassidy; Publisher: none listed; JC (track)
-The production rocks righteously, and his country baritone has just the right touch of “outlaw” swagger. Already a hit in Texas, I see no reason why this stomper couldn’t have much, much wider appeal.
SARAH DARLING/Little Umbrellas
Writers: Sarah Darling/Doug Johnson/Rob Crosby; Producer: Ilya Toshinsky; Publishers: Golden Vault/Wadmalaw/Black River/Sweet Conspiracy/Offer You Can’t Refuse/Little Darling/Want a Fresh One, BMI/ASCAP; 764
-Perky, pop-y, choppy, bopping. Her lilting delivery is sweetly girlish, but the lyric is about empowerment and getting over a guy. Extremely catchy.
DEBBIE COCHRAN/When You’re Loving Me
Writer: Debbie Cochran; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: DMC Anniston; BMI; Go Time (track)
-Her languid, lustrous, throaty, confident, slightly bluesy delivery is enchanting. The band locks into a steady groove behind her on this seductive, mid-tempo outing. Dreamy listening.
BLUE SKY RIDERS/Feelin’ Brave
Writers: Blue Sky Riders; Producers: Peter Asher and Blue Sky Riders; Publishers: Gnossos/Connboy/Middle Girl, ASCAP/SESAC; 3 Dream (track)
-All 15 tracks on this group’s debut CD Finally Home are so uniformly superb that choosing what to issue as a single must be insanely difficult. This throbbing, tempo-shifting, harmony-drenched choice provides moments for all three vocalists to shine. Beyond fabulous.
T.J. BROSCOFF/This Is The Moment
Writer: T.J. Broscoff; Producers: Bill Green and T.J. Broscoff; Publisher: Bill Green, BMI; BGM
-His delivery of this heartbreak toe-tapper has hillbilly soul. Punchy and potent, despite the somewhat slim production values.
ASHTON SHEPHERD/This Is America
Writer: Ashton Shepherd; Producers: Ronnie Rogers and Larry Beard; Publisher: none listed; Pickin’ Shed
-Just in time for the Fourth of July comes this patriotic number about surviving hard times. It is somewhat wordy, but she sings the fire out of it nonetheless.
AARON WOODS BAND/Hangin’ By The River
Writers: Aaron Woods/Colt Larimore; Producer: Tony Pierce; Publisher: none listed, BMI; EJP
-You can’t sing, and your song about a country party is so hackneyed it gives me a headache.