DISClaimer Single Reviews: Blanco Brown ‘Exudes Strength & Tenderness’

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Blanco Brown. Photo: Isaiah Harper

Boo! Happy Halloween, y’all.

DISClaimer doesn’t have anything particularly scary this week, just a new slew of records for your country playlist consideration. As usual.

Blanco Brown’s romantic effort wins the Disc of the Day award. It is one of a number of odes to love on hand today. In addition to Brown, others dishing out the roses include Tony Evans Jr., Wardell and the duet of Tiera Kennedy & Jordin Sparks.

Our DisCovery Award winner is also a romance purveyor. Tucka, KingofSwing, whoever he is, will have you pushing “repeat” so his groove can last all night.

TIERA KENNEDY & JORDIN SPARKS / “Damn If He Don’t Love Me”
Writers: Tiera Kennedy/Cameron Bedell/Shane Stevens; Producer: Cameron Bedell; Label: TK
– Fresh from her appearance on Beyonce’s “Blackbird” cover, Kennedy unleashes her debut album, Rooted, featuring this duet with million-selling American Idol superstar Jordin Sparks. Her light soprano contrasts nicely with the throatier oomph of Sparks on the airy, lilting ode to True Romance. Sweet sounding.

BLANCO BROWN / “Back 2 Basics”
Writers: Blanco Brown, Jordan Reynolds, Andy Albert; Producer: Blanco Brown; Label: Wheelhouse
– The title tune of Brown’s new EP is a lovely track that yearns to rekindle romance with a longtime lover. The gently brushed percussion and audio watercolor tones frame an earnest, soulful vocal that exudes strength and tenderness. This guy can sing.

TONY EVANS JR. / “Yours”
Writers: Fred Wilhelm/Tony Evans Jr.; Producer: Ron Fair; Label: Aneva Music Group
– His warm baritone is seductive and intimate on this languid bedroom invitation. This youngster has the vocal charisma of a classic country crooner.

TANNER ADELL & CLEAN BANDIT / “Cry Baby”
Writers: Anne-Marie Nicholson/Camille Purcell/Jack Patterson/Steve Mac/Tanner Adell; Producers: Clean Bandit, David Guetta, Timofey Reznikov & Will Weatherly; Label: Columbia
– Clean Bandit is a U.K. electronic pop/dance act. Adell’s saucy vocal brings the trio into the country space, while the tune maintains its ear-worm catchiness. Rhythm happy, and then some.

SACHA / “Hey Mom I Made It”
Writers: Sacha/Shawn Chambliss/Jake Saghi; Producer: James Robbins & Eric Arjes; Label: Sony
– This newcomer’s breakthrough single is a top 10 hit on the Canadian country charts and is streaming up the U.K. charts as well. To underscore its success, Sacha is issuing a piano-vocal version that brings out its mother-daughter emotional vulnerability. In the wake of being a CMT Next Women of Country grad, she’s signed by Sony in Canada and is now touring with Tenille Townes.

SHABOOZEY / “Highway”
Writers: Collins Chibueze/Mckay Robert Stevens/Sean Cook; Producers: Sean Cook & Mckay Stevens; Label: Empire
– This one’s a strummy-guitar road song with Shaboozey enacting a wandering, lovelorn, pleading soul who’s sorry he did her wrong. The “greek chorus” of guys echoing his broken-hearted sentiments is especially cool.

KEVIN SMILEY / “Heart to Break”
Writers: Dallas Wilson/Andrew Baylis/Conor Mathews/Kevin Smiley; Producer: Andrew Baylis; Label: Rebel Music/gamma
– The tone is breezy and upbeat, while the lyric is indicts a heartless paramour. Smiley’s smooth, earnest singing rides atop a wonderfully groove-soaked track. This newcomer is batting a thousand so far.

JOY OLADOKUN / “Drugs”
Writer: Joy Oladokun; Producer: Joy Oladokun; Label: Amigo/Verve/Republic
– The drugs aren’t working anymore, so she needs a new way to survive. The folkie-country troubadour is evolving as a stylist on this advance track from her third album. There’s some cool thump in the production and a very ear-friendly female chorus of supporters chanting and harmonizing in the background. Can’t wait to hear the rest of her new project. I remain a fan.

WARDEL / “Forever & Always”
Writers: Idrise Ward-El/Matthew Grant; Producer: Idrise Ward-El & Grady Saxman; Label: Epochal/Virgin
– He made the switch from pop/R&B to country a couple of years ago because he valued country’s storytelling. Wardel attacks this power-ballad ode to everlasting love with passion and warmth. The song is extra poignant because his fiancee is terminally ill with a rare brain cancer. The vow of love thus has no boundaries and can hold no promise of tomorrow.

CHARLES “WIGG” WALKER / “Things Are Comin’ Our Way”
Writers: Charles Treadway/Charles Wigg Walker/Eric Pittarelli; Producer: Charles Treadway & Gary Gold; Label: CWW
– In January, this old-school Nashville soul singer will be issuing his first album in more than a decade. Its advance track is a positive, upbeat, joyous groover with soaring strings and a funk rhythm arrangement. Walker is now 84 and still performs weekly Saturday night gigs with an all-star band at Acme Feed & Seed downtown. Show him some love by heading there this weekend.

TUCKA / “Take It Slow”
Writer: Norris Boutte; Producer: none listed; Label: Hit Nation
– “Makin’ love by candlelight” is just a tiny bit of the vibe generated in this lushly produced bedroom ballad. He’s billed as “KingofSwing,” but he’s a slow, sexy devil in this performance. The strings and guitars groove nonstop, including a long intro and a long fade.

RVSHD / “Couldn’t Be Me”
Writers: Ben Simmonetti/Clintarius Johnson/Rob Pennington; Producer: Brandon Manley; Label: Penthouse South
– Pronounced “Ra-Shad,” this artist’s debut album dropped last month. His new single from it is a choppy, hip-hoppy ditty wherein he’s kinda pissed off that he’s outta her life. His appealing country vocal bounces over a loopy rhythm track with elan.

Robert K Oermann
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