DISClaimer Single Reviews: Tim McGraw Is ‘Eloquently Heartbreaking’ On New Track

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Tim McGraw. Photo: Robby Klein

Country music is unashamed to wear its heart on its sleeve, and that’s abundantly true in this edition of DISClaimer.

Sam Hunt openly worships the women in his life. Ashley McBryde explores the dark side of her childhood. Elle King sings of loneliness. Drew Holcomb praises friendship. The late Kenny Rogers embraces the sentiments of fatherhood. Most powerful of all is the emotion Todd Tilghman pours into “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” which wins him a DISCovery Award.

Our Disc of the Day is also nakedly emotional. Tim McGraw’s “Hey Whiskey” mourns the damage done. Brilliantly.

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS / “Find Your People”
Writers: Drew Holcomb/Kevin Scott Rhoads; Producer: Cason Cooley; Label: Magnolia Music/Tone Tree Music
– This guy has been making great music for 20 years. This happy, rhythmic track boasts hearty vocals, chunky beats, acoustic strumming and a lot of cheer. Holcomb sings of the value of friendships while the band sets the mood. Drawn from his just-released Strangers No More album, the celebratory tune is presently at No. 1 on the Americana chart.

SAM HUNT / “Women in My Life”
Writers: Sam Hunt/Zach Crowell/Ashley Gorley/Josh Osborne; Producers: Zach Crowell/Chris LaCorte/Sam Hunt; Label: MCA Nashville
– This swaying, atmospheric, echoey outing is sung with soft sincerity. He muses how empty his life would be without the women who made him the person he is. The performance is perfect, and the sentiment is superb. His best yet.

ASHLEY McBRYDE / “Learned to Lie”
Writers: Ashley McBryde/Sean McConnell/Nicolette Hayford; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– “Light on in the Kitchen” is still the single, and its parent album The Devil I Know isn’t due until September. But here’s another advance track from it. The lyric takes you down a dark passageway into a dysfunctional childhood while the ballad’s guitar, steel and bass draw out a slow, sad accompaniment. Stunning and powerful.

TIM McGRAW / “Hey Whiskey”
Writers: Brad Hutsell/Joel Hutsell/Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producers: Tim McGraw/Byron Gallimore; Label: Big Machine Records
– Eloquently heartbreaking. He addresses the drink that took his money, drove away a good woman, occupied his life and left him in hell. Sighing steel and brushed percussion hurt with every note. One more reason to eagerly anticipate the release of his new Standing Room Only collection in August.

LORI McKENNA / “The Town in Your Heart”
Writers: Lori McKenna/Jessie Jo Dillon/Dustin Christensen; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: CN Records/Thirty Tigers
– The troubadour takes a strummy, uptempo ride in this ode to two wandering souls who take to the road. She’s fine with traveling, as long she has a home in his heart. The Everly-esque vocal harmonies are a bonus.

KENNY ROGERS / “Catchin’ Grasshoppers”
Writers: Laura McCall Torno/Earl Torno; Producers: Randy Dorman & Kenny Rogers; Label: UMG
– The new Kenny Rogers album Life Is Like a Song is a compilation of previously unreleased tunes. Its first single is a heart-tugging, downbeat ode to fatherhood. He puts aside his busy life to spend time playing outside with his little twins.

HANNAH ELLIS / “Wine Country”
Writers: Hannah Ellis/Clint Lagerberg/Nick Wayne; Producers: Jason Massey/Clint Lagerberg; Label: Curb Records
– It’s a rollicking, romping drinkin’ song. Only this time it’s chardonnay in a solo cup instead of beer. Lotsa fun. Raise your glass and sing along.

RODNEY CROWELL / “You’re Supposed to Be Feeling Good”
Writer: Rodney Crowell; Producer: Jeff Tweedy; Label: New West Records
– This song first appeared on the 1977 Emmylou Harris LP Luxury Liner, but Crowell never got around to recording it, himself. Until now. The partnership with Jeff Tweedy on the songwriter’s new The Chicago Sessions album brings him renewed vigor and an utterly fresh audio approach. And this track couldn’t be a better example. It’s kinda twangy and Beatles-y at the same time.

ELLE KING & DIPLO / “Without You”
Writers: Daniel Silberstein/Elle King/Henry Agincourt Allen/Jamison Baken/Sasha Alex Sloan/Thomas Wesley Pentz; Producers: Diplo/King Henry; Label: Columbia
– Rapid, rushed snare beats and a tickling banjo propel this dreamy, airy lovelorn track. Heartache has seldom sounded more inviting.

ASHLEY COOKE / “Shot in the Dark”
Writers: Ashley Cooke/Jordan Minton/Emily Weisband/Corey Crowder; Producer: Jimmy Robbins; Label: Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music
– This is the title tune of her album, which drops next month. With 24 tracks, it surely must be the longest debut country collection in history. The song is a splendid introduction, wafting with young romance and twirling in melody. The extremely well written lyric puts you right in that barroom, watching love at first sight occur over tequilas.

BEN RECTOR / “Wonderful World”
Writers: Ben Rector/Jordy Searcy/Andrew Tufano; Producers: Ben Rector/Andrew Tufano; Label: OK Kid Recordings 
– Rector appears at the Let Freedom Sing concert when Music City celebrates the Fourth of July next Tuesday. He’ll be sharing the bill with Brad Paisley and The War & Treaty, so he’ll be bringing his pop/Americana “A” game. The current video by this Nashvillian is an endearing puppet production featuring likenesses of him and his daughter out in gorgeous nature scenery. The track is lilting, sweet and pop-folkie. It’s also an audio delight.

TODD TILGHMAN / “Blood, Sweat & Tears”
Writers: Joe Hanson/Justin Morgan/Victoria Banks; Producers: none listed; Label: Straight Arrow Records
– Wait a second: This dude won on The Voice, but you’ve never heard of him? That might be because production shut down when the COVID pandemic hit and he finished the show remotely. When coach Blake Shelton introduced him on the Opry, Todd wowed me with “Home Wasn’t Built in a Day,” a tender and beautifully sung evocation of home-and-hearth. Now comes this powerful single/video with a gospel lyric exalting, “His blood, my sweat and her tears.” It will make you shout, “Amen.” At age 45, he’s the oldest champ in the show’s history, but this father of eight and former pastor from Mississippi has a heartfelt voice with no age limit. He has released several other fine singles, but so far has no album. Somebody give this gifted guy a break. And a label deal.

Robert K Oermann
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