• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Events
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Kane Brown, Josh Turner, High Valley, Gone West

October 15, 2020/by Robert K Oermann

There is very little in this edition of DisClaimer that is earth shattering—This week’s hallmarks are craftsmanship and competence.

Rising above the routine are Josh Turner, High Valley, the exquisite Gone West and our Disc of the Day winner, Kane Brown.

The DisCovery Award goes to the new duo Southerland, comprised of Matt Chase and Chris Rogers.

SOUTHERLAND/”Thing Is”
Writers: Matt Chase/Chris Rogers/Greg Bates; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Trent Willmon; River House/Sony
– Rollicking, good-natured and relentlessly upbeat. A single with a smile.

HIGH VALLEY/”Grew Up on That”
Writers: Brad Rempel, Ben Stennis, Jaron Boyer; Publisher: WMG/Sony-ATV/Peermusic/Kobalt, no performance rights listed; Producer: Seth Mosley; Warner
– Well written and highly engaging. The word portrait of simple values is dazzlingly detailed, and the melodic bed surrounding it twinkles like a holiday sparkler. I’m in.

JOSH TURNER/”I Can Tell By the Way You Dance”
Writers: Sandy Pinkard/Robert Strandlund; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Kenny Greenberg; MCA Nashville
– This is smokin’ hot. Turner’s arrangement ups the tempo and intensity of this 1984 Vern Gosdin classic, giving it a zesty, refreshing spin. It’s a risky business covering one of country music’s greatest vocal stylists, but Turner shows that he’s up to the task with his artfully phrased delivery. And anyone who shines a light on Gosdin’s greatness gets an A+ in my book.

ALECIA NUGENT/”Way Too Young for Wings”
Writers: Alecia Nugent/James Leblanc/Jen Stegall/Brian Maher; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Keith Stegall; Hillbilly Goddess
– Nugent is taking the unusual step of releasing two singles simultaneously. This gentle, poignant ballad about dealing with the death of a young person is for the country market. The two stepper “Tell Fort Worth I Said Hello” is aimed at Texas-music programmers. Makes sense to me, since Texas is its own planet. And since both songs are stunners.

LUKE BRYAN/”Down to One”
Writers: Dallas Davidson/Justin Ebach/Kyle Fishman; Publisher: Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/ Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/ Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Memory Days, SESAC/Curb Wordspring Music, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC; Producer: Jeff Stevens & Jody Steven; Capitol
– Beautifully produced. At its most basic, this is yet another uptempo, not-too-country love song. But the swirling sonic mix makes it sound like a real romance.

KINKY FRIEDMAN/”Resurrection”
Writers: Kinky Friedman; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Larry Campbell; Echo Hill
– The soulful title tune of Friedman’s current CD serves notice that he’s not the snarky comic presence that he used to be. It’s a toe tapping meditation on death and the passage of time, sung with a soft, folky rasp that exudes sincerity. Willie Nelson drops by to harmonize.

JUSTIN MOORE/”We Didn’t Have Much”
Writers: Jeremy Stover/Randy Montana/Paul DiGiovanni; Publisher: none listed; Producer: Jeremy Stover & Scott Borchetta; Valory
– The restless shuffling tempo propels this toe-tapper-with-a-heart. It gives it a certain edge and helps lift the song above mere nostalgia and a familiar poor-but-happy message. It’s a glimpse into Moore’s album to come next year.

MARGIE SINGLETON/”Never Mind”
Writers: M. Singleton/S.S. Singleton; Publisher: aintquittin, BMI; Producer: Stephen Shelby Singleton & Derrick Dexter Mathis; aintquittin music
– Singer-songwriter Margie Singleton celebrated her 85th birthday on Monday by releasing a new EP. Its title tune is a bass-heavy rumbler with an autobiographical lyric that she delivers with moxie. Active for seven decades, Singleton has sung hit duets with George Jones and Faron Young. She has written “Lie to Me” (an R&B hit for Brook Benton), “She Understands Me” (a pop hit for Johnny Tillotson) and “Laura What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got” (a country hit by her late husband Leon Ashley). And she’s still at it.

KANE BROWN/”Worship You”
Writers: Eskeerdo/Kane Brown/Matthew McGinn/Ryan Vojtesak; Publisher: Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/ Kane Brown Music, BMI/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/AIX Publishing, ASCAP/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC/Krispy Pork Gang, BMI ; Producer: Dann Huff; RCA Nashville/Zone 4
– A repeated acoustic guitar figure sends a rippling wave through this super-romantic ballad that’s shot through with religious metaphors. His performance is a slow-burn dandy. This guy’s stardom seems to burn brighter with every release.

GONE WEST/”I’m Never Getting Over You”
Writers: Colbie Caillat/Danielle Leverett Reeves/Jason Bradford Reeves/Justin Young/Liz Rose; Publisher: Warner-Chappell/Sony-ATV, no performance rights listed; Producer: Jamie Kenney; Triple Tigers
– This packs a punch. The anguish and ache in the farewell tune are made all the more piquant by the facts that this is the group’s swan song and that Colbie Caillat and Justin Young are breaking up as a couple. Caillat is noted as a Grammy winning pop artist, but it is Hawaiian music star Young’s soul-searing performance here that sent chills up my spine. Intensely moving. I am going to miss this always-flawless foursome.

KASSI ASHTON/”Black Motorcycle”
Writers: Kassi Ashton/Luke Laird; Publisher: Creative Nation; Producer: Kassi Ashton & Luke Laird; MCA Nashville/Interscope
– The track is a muffled mess. The lyric consists of the same inane phrase repeated over the over. There is nothing “country” about it. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Robert K Oermann
Robert K Oermann
Robert K. Oermann is a longtime contributor to MusicRow. He is a respected music critic, author and historian.
Robert K Oermann
Latest posts by Robert K Oermann (see all)
  • Widely Admired Bass Player Dave Roe Passes - September 22, 2023
  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: ‘A Lot To Fall In Love With’ This Americana Week - September 21, 2023
  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: Colbie Caillat & Sheryl Crow Bring Breezy New Tune - September 14, 2023
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
0 0 Robert K Oermann https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Robert K Oermann2020-10-15 15:07:102020-10-15 15:07:10DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Kane Brown, Josh Turner, High Valley, Gone West

RECENT NEWS

  • Parker McCollum Celebrates Three No. 1 Hits September 22, 2023
  • Frank Ray Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With New Spanish EP September 22, 2023
  • Cody Johnson Announces Third Studio Album ‘Leather’ September 22, 2023
  • Dalton Dover Delivers New Project, ‘Never Giving Up On That’ September 22, 2023
  • Kane Brown Releases Phil Collins-Inspired Track ‘I Can Feel It’ September 22, 2023
  • Widely Admired Bass Player Dave Roe Passes September 22, 2023
  • Zach Bryan Releases Five-Track ‘Boys Of Faith’ EP September 22, 2023
  • Dustin Lynch To Kick Off His ‘Killed The Cowboy Tour’ In April September 22, 2023
  • Bill Anderson Named First Recipient Of Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement Award September 22, 2023
  • Morgan Wallen Takes ‘Everything I Love’ To Top Of MusicRow Chart September 22, 2023
  • Megan Moroney Drops Deluxe Edition Of Debut Album ‘Lucky’ September 22, 2023
  • Oliver Anthony Signs With UTA September 22, 2023
  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: ‘A Lot To Fall In Love With’ This Americana Week September 21, 2023
  • CMA Foundation Honors Music Teachers Of Excellence September 21, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Stephen Wilson Jr., Anne Wilson, BMI, ACM September 21, 2023

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2023 Music Row Enterprises, LLC – All rights reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Scroll to top