DISClaimer Single Reviews: Jelly Roll’s Vocal Is Full Of ‘Gripping Passion & Believability’

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Jelly Roll. Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

In these troubling times, the country stars are offering comforting messages this week.

To varying degrees, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Dolly, Reba, Tanya and Bailey Zimmerman are all singing of hope and empowerment. Among them, Jelly Roll has the outstanding effort and wins the Disc of the Day prize.

I was thunderstruck by the vocal quality of Taulia Lave, who is a complete unknown to me. He easily wins the DISCovery Award du jour.

TAULIA LAVE / “Modern Day Cowboy”
Writers: Errol Collier/Taulia Lave; Producer: Austin Stanley; Label: Country Boy Records
– The production perks up your ears from the first deep-bass notes. Then the man begins to sing and OMG. Gorgeous voice. Gorgeous tempo track. This is packed with audio dynamics—steel, percussion, twang guitar, propulsion, echo. Lave, known as “Big T” is a Samoan with a voice of satin. He hails from Hawaii, a state whose natives have always included many great vocalists. Take it from me, this man is one of them.

REBA McENTIRE / “Happy’s Place”
Writers: Carole King/Doug Sisemore/Reba McEntire; Producer: Doug Sisemore; Label: Rockin’ R Records
– This rhythmic bopper is the theme song from the Hall of Famer’s new NBC sitcom, which premieres tomorrow (Oct. 18). She invests it with plenty of energy. The instrumental break is a bland disappointment. The writer credits are newsworthy.

WARREN ZEIDERS / “You For A Reason”
Writers: Alex Maxwell/Rivers Rutherford/Warren Zeiders; Producers: Ross Copperman, Warren Zeiders; Label: Warner Records
– The love didn’t last, but he has no regrets. CMT award winner Zeiders is such a strong vocalist, and sings this ballad with loads of heart.

KELSEA BALLERINI / “First Rodeo”
Writers: Alysa Vanderheym/Hillary Lindsey/Jessie Jo Dillon/Karen Fairchild/Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Alysa Vanderheym, Kelsea Ballerini; Label: Black River Entertainment
– This is a soft-focus, pastel watercolor of sound. Ballerini dials it down to a whispery, conversational delivery while the dreamy ballad swirls in gentle washes around her. Lovely listening.

TIM McGRAW / “People Like Us”
Writers: Scooter Carusoe/Tom Douglas; Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Label: Big Machine Records
– Very uplifting. McGraw sings a lyric that offers unity, hope and heart. We’re all in this together, and if we want to build a better tomorrow we have to do it in brotherhood. This guy has always been a champion song magnet.

KASHUS CULPEPPER / “Out Of My Mind”
Writers: Brian Elmquist/Kashus Culpepper; Producer: Brian Elmquist; Label: Big Loud/Mercury Records
– This has a cool, unusual sound with multiple tempo and chord changes. I don’t hear it as “country,” however.

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN / “Holding On”
Writers: Austin Shawn/Blake Whiten; Producer: Austin Shawn; Label: Warner Music Nashville/Elektra Entertainment
– The vocal sounds very “processed” in this plodding ballad. The production is a dense sounding onslaught of electronics. Pass.

JELLY ROLL / “I Am Not Okay”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Casey Brown/Jason Deford/Taylor Phillips; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: BBR Music Group
– This is arguably his finest vocal performance to date, full of gripping passion and believability. For troubled souls everywhere: “When it’s all said and done/I am not okay/But it’s all gonna be alright.” This turbulent-but-uplifting track deserves to be a No. 1 record.

DON LOUIS / “Drunk And Alone”
Writer: Don Louis; Producer: Kipp Williams; Label: Money Myers Entertainment/EMPIRE
– They broke up. It sounds like they are both drowning their blues in booze. He at least has the satisfaction of knowing she calls him when she’s loaded and needy. The track bops along merrily, and he sings with fine finesse. I’ve been liking this guy all along, and the hunk is named one of Music City’s Most Beautiful People in the current issue of Nashville Lifestyles magazine.

DOLLY PARTON, MADDIE & TAE, JESSIE JAMES DECKER & CALLIE TWISSELMAN / “Gonna Be You”
Writer: Diane Warren; Producer: Jimmy Robbins; Label: DiNamic/CTK Records
– The massed female voices combine to offer a song of sisterhood. It’s about buddies who will always have your back. Friendship has seldom sounded so downright wise and wonderful. The upbeat anthem is from the soundtrack of the hit comedy movie 80 For Brady, which I also recommend.

HUESTON / “Bottle In My Hand”
Writers: Brandon Sammons/Cory Hueston/Matt Ferranti; Producer: Bsamz; Label: Silver Wings Records
– He has a very ear-catching voice, kinda strangled, soulful and aching. The production is pop, but the lyric of closing a dive bar down and losing it all to alcohol is country all the way.

TANYA TUCKER / “Do We Want To Win”
Writers: Chuck Cannon/Reggie Hamm; Producers: Chuck Cannon, Mark Joseph; Label: TT
– It’s kinda political and also about a relationship. The tempo drags, there’s a whole lotta spoken word passages, and the chorus seems to be the only hook in the song.

Robert K Oermann
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