DISClaimer Single Reviews: Travis Denning & Mickey Guyton Share Disc Of The Day

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Travis Denning, Mickey Guyton

The sun is shining, and there’s a spring in your step, so the country stars are here to get your feet tapping, too.

New tracks by Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Elle King and a Darius Rucker/Jennifer Nettles collaboration set the pace this week in DISClaimer.

Our male winner of the Disc of the Day prize is Travis Denning, and his winning female counterpart is Mickey Guyton. Each had tough competition via the new tracks by Tim Dugger and Lacy J. Dalton, respectively.

I have no DISCovery honoree this week. But we live in hope.

RYAN CHARLES / “Heartbreak Rodeo”
Writer: Ryan Charles; Producers: Kyle Jefferson/Austin Bianco; Label: River House Artists
– This nasal-sounding rapper is attempting a hip-hop country fusion. I’m not buyin’ it. It takes more than putting on a cowboy hat to be a country artist.

JOSH TURNER / “Heatin’ Things Up”
Writers: Brice Long/Luke Laird/Marv Green; Producer: Kenny Greenberg; Label: MCA Nashville
– Turner dips into his lowest register during his performance of this slow-burn ode to lust. Nice and listenable.

TIM DUGGER / “Man Upstairs”
Writers: Brandon Hood/Josh Thompson/Tim Dugger; Producer: Brandon Hood; Label: Curb Records
– I like the easy-going, kicked-back vibe of this neo-traditionalist’s love song. It has a summertime, front-porch-swing mood that is mighty attractive. The gently persuasive, less-is-more production is perfect.

DARIUS RUCKER & JENNIFER NETTLES / “Never Been Over”
Writers: Darius Rucker/John Osborne/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Ross Copperman; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– The relationship has had its ups and downs, but through it all, they endure. Rucker takes the first verse and his phrasing dominates. Nettles enters, piercingly, then he joins her in a duet. She takes the harmony part, but does some dandy extemporaneous vocal licks, too. Well done, both of you.

ELLE KING / “Baby Daddy’s Weekend”
Writers: Elle King/Nicolette Hayford; Producers: Elle King/Dave Cohen; Label: RCA Records
– King’s on a rompin,’ stompin’ rampage on this rousing, summer-vacation anthem. Her buddies are shouting along while the guitars and drums rock out.

WILLIE NELSON / “Made In Texas”
Writers: Monty Holmes/Shawn Camp; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Label: Legacy Recordings
– Willie turned 91 on Monday. He also released a new track. Drawn from his upcoming album The Border, it’s a jaunty western swinger that has shout outs to Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb and Lone Star Beer. Not to mention the immortal line, “You can always tell a Texan/But you can’t tell him much.” Cool extended guitar workouts flavor the tune. And a good time was had by all.

GRANT GILBERT / “Drunk Since Dallas”
Writers: Forrest Finn/Grant Gilbert/Joe Whelan; Producer: Lukas Scott; Label: River House Artists
– Hillbilly heartache, set to a wildly percolating, bopping beat.

MIRANDA LAMBERT / “Wranglers”
Writers: Audra Mae/Evan McKeever/Ryan Carpenter; Producers: Miranda Lambert/Jon Randall; Label: Republic Records
– It’s a female-empowerment, revenge roar. She always did love to light stuff on fire, but alas, “wranglers take forever to burn.”

TRAVIS DENNING / “Add Her To The List”
Writers: Paul DiGiovanni/Bobby Pinson/Jeremy Stover; Producers: Paul DiGiovanni/Jeremy Stover; Label: Mercury Nashville
– He has run into the ditch, hit dead ends, taken wrong turns and screwed up many, many times. Not the least of the things he wishes he could fix is the relationship. So of all the wrongs he’d make right, you can “add her to the list.” Marvelously well written and performed with verve. This deserves massive airplay.

MICKEY GUYTON / “Scary Love”
Writers: Karen Kosowski/Emma-Lee/Mickey Guyton/Victoria Banks; Producer: Karen Kosowski; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– Guyton is such an excellent singer. And with a piece of material this strong, she can really raise the rafters. The pounding, throbbing production matches her passionate performance of this inspirational motherhood lyric. The video features beyond-adorable footage of her baby as an infant and as a toddler. Your heart will melt.

LACY J. DALTON / “What Don’t Kill Ya!”
Writer: Lacy J. Dalton; Producer: Jimmy Norris; Label: StarVista Music
– To the accompaniment of a bluesy, twanging track, veteran Dalton struts through this slice of outlaw wisdom. No matter the difficulty you face in your life, face it and you’ll survive. Punchy and potent. One of the most charismatic voices in this genre still has the goods. And how.

TERRI CLARK & BEN RECTOR / “Now That I Found You”
Writer: J.D. Martin/Paul Begaud/Vanessa Corish; Producer: Terri Clark; Label: Universal Music Enterprises
– Clark’s album of celebrity duets drops on May 31. Titled Take Two, it includes her collaborations with Lainey Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Pearce (”Girls Lie Too”), Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde (”Better Things to Do”), Lauren Alaina and more. Clark is in fine voice on this swoon-y ballad. Rector doesn’t have her magnetism, but is an able duet foil on the romantic, melodic reinterpretation of her 1998 hit.

Robert K Oermann
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