DISClaimer Single Reviews: Blanco Brown & Lily Rose Share The Disc Of The Day

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Blanco Brown, Lily Rose

There’s a lot of pop in this week’s country music offerings.

I believe they call it “pushing the envelope.” Whatever the case, it’s what Tanner Adell, Little Big Town with Sugarland, Kelsea Ballerini and Blanco Brown are bringing. On the country side, we have Tracy Lawrence, Lily Rose, Dylan Marlowe, Tenille Townes and Luke Bryan.

Taking one from each column, we have two winners of the Disc of the Day award, Blanco Brown and Lily Rose.

TENILLE TOWNES / “Thing That Brought Me Here (Truck Song)”
Writers: Tenille Townes/Ben Rector; Producers: Tenille Townes/Logan Wall; Label: Columbia Nashville
– The gifted Canadian award winner returns with a “road” song that rolls along on wheels of rhythm. The track ebbs and flows with an echoey twang and a gripping lead vocal that keeps you glued to the speakers. I remain a huge fan.

KELSEA BALLERINI / “Love Me Like You Mean It (Reimagined)”
Writers: Forest Glen Whitehead/Josh Kerr/Kelsea Ballerini/Lance Carpenter; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini/Alysa Vanderheym; Label: Black River Entertainment
– I have always liked this song, and Ballerini’s new arrangement of her 2014 breakthrough hit sparkles with imagination. It begins with a stark, unadorned vocal then gradually builds with electronic percussion burbles and deft guitar touches. Highly listenable and downright addictive.

TANNER ADELL / “Whiskey Blues”
Writers: Tanner Adell/Akii King/Stephen McGregor/Will Weatherly/Anthony Germaine White; Producers: Tanner Adell/Akil “worldwidefresh” King/Stephen McGregor/Will Weatherly/Anthony Germaine White “J. White Did It”; Label: Columbia Records
– Adell’s appearance on the Beyoncé album has raised her profile dramatically. But the “Buckle Bunny” singer’s new single sounds like an ‘80s rock track rather than a country performance.

LUKE BRYAN / “Love You Miss You Mean It”
Writers: Rhett Akins/Ben Hayslip/Jacob Rice/Jordan Minton; Producers: Jeff Stevens/Jody Stevens; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– A country romance, written with panache and hooks a-plenty. Hit bound.

LILY ROSE / “True North”
Writers: David Garcia/Hillary Lindsey/Trannie Anderson/Lily Rose; Producers: Paul DiGiovanni; Label: Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music/Mercury Records/Republic Records
– Deliciously melodic and marvelously evocative as a lyric. When she feels like she’s losing her way, “I head down South to my True North.” Authentic and honest. Sung with ringing conviction. This Georgia artist hits a bullseye every time. Lily Rose stages her Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night. They’re lucky to have her.

RHIANNON GIDDENS / “The Ballad Of Sally Anne”
Writers: Alice Randall/Harry Stinson/Mark O’Connor; Producer: Ebonie Smith; Label: Oh Boy Records
– Dropping tomorrow, My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall is an all-star album that casts the songwriter’s works as expressions of the Black female experience. It is part of a package deal that also includes Randall’s memoir of the same title. On this advance track, Giddens takes Randall’s song on an old-time music journey that evokes an ancient, tragic folk ballad. Her banjo leads the way. Others on the album include such favorites as Valerie June, Miko Marks, Rissi Palmer, SistaStrings, Layla McCalla, Allison Russell and Adia Victoria.

BLANCO BROWN / “Good As It Gets”
Writers: Bennie Amey III/David Fanning/Matt Thomas/Tommy Cecil; Producer: Blanco Brown; Label: Wheelhouse Records
– The charismatic “Git Up” man has returned with a new EP and this change-of-pace, deeply romantic outing. Instruments swirl around him as he soars into his upper vocal register. Sonically innovative and totally dreamy.

DAVE ALVIN & JIMMIE DALE GILMORE / “We’re Still Here”
Writers: Dave Alvin/Jimmie Dale Gilmore; Producer: Dave Alvin; Label: Yep Roc Records
– The Blasters front man and The Flatlanders Texas great teamed up as a duo in 2017. In advance of Texicali, their sophomore album together, they’ve released this rollicking, rootsy romp. Guitar twang and barrelhouse piano abound.

DANIELIA COTTON / “Roll On Mississippi”
Writers: Dennis Morgan/Kye Fleming; Producer: none listed; Label: Cottontown
– Cotton salutes her Black country forefather with this revival of Charley Pride’s 1981 hit. She struggles painfully with the high notes.

LITTLE BIG TOWN & SUGARLAND / “Take Me Home”
Writers: Phil Collins; Producers: Little Big Town/Kristian Bush; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– Little Big Town has long peppered its concerts with reworkings of pop/rock oldies. On this week’s CMT Awards, the group and its tour mates of Sugarland stunned viewers with this spectacular treatment of the Phil Collins 1986 pop smash. Drenched in vocal harmonies, it is absolutely gorgeous. It has nothing to do with country music, but what a sound.

TRACY LAWRENCE / “Gulf Of Mexico”
Writers: Monty Criswell/Derek George/Bubba Strait; Producers: none listed; Label: TL
– The honky-tonk master nails this heartache ballad completely. It’s a slow dance for the down and out who can’t drink away a memory.

DYLAN MARLOWE / “Bat Outta Hell (With A Boat On The Back)”
Writers: Jessie Jo Dillon/Dylan Marlowe/Kyle Fishman; Producer: Joe Fox; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– The fisherman is speeding home to get to her before she leaves him. The energetic track pushes things along.

Robert K Oermann
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