DISClaimer Single Reviews: Carly Pearce Wins Disc Of The Day Ahead Of Album Release

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Carly Pearce. Photo: Allister Ann

Diversity is the hallmark of this edition of DISClaimer.

Half of our entries feature female voices. Black country artists are represented by The War and Treaty and Shaboozey. We have a song by a Andrea Vasquez, who represents the Latin community.

The DISCovery Award goes to Chris Housman. He is a Belmont grad who makes solidly country music from a queer perspective. In addition to “Guilty As Sin,” check out his song “Drag Queen.” They are both on his debut album, titled Blueneck.

The Disc of the Day belongs to Carly Pearce, who is also issuing a new collection, Hummingbird, tomorrow (June 7). Long may she sing.

BRANDON DAVIS / “Daisies”
Writers: Daniel Agee/Josh London/Richard Brandon Davis; Producer: Daniel Agee; Label: Big Yellow Dog Music
– This snappy country rocker has cute melodic twists and turns as the singer delivers a deeply Southern accented vow of lifelong love. Country as a can of kraut.

T. GRAHAM BROWN & TANYA TUCKER / “The Dark End Of The Street”
Writers: Chips Moman/Dan Penn; Producers: T. Graham Brown/Cole Johnstone/Billy Lawson; Label: Johnstone Ent. Records
– The Opry’s newest member reunites with his 1990 “Don’t Go Out” duet partner. She is at last a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and they still sound great together. The song is one of history’s great cheating songs. They take it at a stately pace, each emoting with smoldering fire while the soul horns punctuate. This mini masterpiece is drawn from Brown’s upcoming From Memphis to Muscle Shoals collection (due Aug. 2), which also features collaborations with Delbert McClinton, Dwight Yoakam, Eddie Floyd, Bettye LaVette, Sam Moore, Wynonna and Little Anthony. A second advance track has also been issued, Brown with Randy Houser on “Dock of the Bay.”

ANDREA VASQUEZ / “Moving Target”
Writers: Andrea Vasquez/Bailey Morgan/Eitan Snyder; Producer: Jason Bobo; Label: AV
– Vasquez sings amid a swirling, languid, imaginatively produced track embellished with cross-cutting percussion, whispery soprano backing and echoey guitars. The lyric is about a gal who won’t be tied down. She aims to bring some of her Latin emotion to the country genre and succeeds. Also check out her tempo tune “Overthink.”

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN / “Where It Ends”
Writers: Bailey Zimmerman/Grant Averill/Joe Spargur; Producer: Austin Shawn; Label: Warner Music Nashville/Elektra
– She has broken his heart one too many times, so he’s calling it quits in this recent chart-topper. Zimmerman is a wailing tenor and a dynamic live performer who showcases Sunday night at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest.

THE WAR AND TREATY / “Called You By Your Name”
Writers: Michael Trotter Jr./Tanya Trotter; Producer: Michael Trotter Jr.; Label: UMG Nashville
– The soul-country duo rocks out on this barn burner. The tempo is bluegrassy-furious and the vocals are electrifying. Their CMA Fest slot is Saturday evening.

CARLY PEARCE / “Truck On Fire”
Writers: Carly Pearce/Justin Ebach/Charles Kelley; Producers: Shane McAnally/Josh Osborne/Carly Pearce; Label: Big Machine Records
– “Liar, liar, truck on fire,” she warbles in this deceptively bouncy ditty. She has plans to torch his ride, you see. As usual, she sings her face off. Catch Carly in a primo slot on Sunday night at the Nissan Stadium CMA Fest finale or during her afternoon appearance on the CMA Close Up stage in Music City Center.

MICHAEL RAY / “Drink With Our Friends”
Writers: Brad Warren/Brett Warren/John Edwards/John Morgan; Producer: Michael Knox; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– Loudly rocking. It could be an outtake from an ‘80s hair-metal band. Except his vocal doesn’t shriek.

KIM RICHEY / “A Way Around”
Writers: Aaron Lee Tasjan/Brian Wright/Kim Richey; Producer: Doug Lancio; Label: Yep Roc Records
– I have always loved this woman’s music. Her liquid-silver voice wraps itself around this deliciously crunchy midtempo track in a rootsy, bluesy dream. It is drawn from her refreshing new album Every New Beginning, which dropped a couple of weeks ago. An essential artist.

SHABOOZEY & NOAH CYRUS / “My Fault”
Writers: Bailey Bryan/Collins Obinna Chibueze/Doug Walters/Nevin Sastry/Noah Cyrus/PJ Harding/Sean Cook; Producers: Sean Cook/Nevin Sastry; Label: American Dogwood/EMPIRE
– Shaboozey wears a heartache-ballad cloak quite well. Ms. Cyrus sings along as he explores a dark path of overdose and self destruction. It’s a downer, but it sure is listenable.

CHASE BRYANT & JAKE OWEN / “Where The Good Ones Go”
Writers: Bob DiPiero/Chase Bryant/Chris Loocke; Producers: Chase Bryant/Jon Randall/Casey Wood; Label: Alazan Records LLC/EMPIRE
– We don’t know where we go when we die. In this gentle, rolling, echoey meditation, these guys hope to go where his buddies are, the beer is cold, the grass is green and country music plays all the time. Very hooky and satisfying.

MEGAN MORONEY / “Man On The Moon”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Casey Smith/David “Messy” Mescon/Megan Moroney; Producer: Kristian Bush; Label: Columbia Nashville/Columbia Records
– As usual, she’s a beacon of creativity. “Someone take this cowboy away….There’s got to be a rocket taking off somewhere soon,” for the moon. Her clever lyric is matched by a super hooky melody and an upbeat production. I’m in.

CHRIS HOUSMAN / “Guilty As Sin”
Writers: Brandon Meagher/Christopher Aaron Housman/Nell Maynard; Producer: Jerry Fuentes; Label: CH
– This Kansas honky tonker sings in a burnished baritone that aches in romantic torment. The twang and soul in the production are straight-up country. And then there’s this: The video features two tattooed guys (Housman and Gabe LaDuke) making out in a garage. It’s Pride Month. So there you have it.

Robert K Oermann
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