DISClaimer Single Reviews: Cody Johnson & Carín León Team For Disc Of The Day

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Today, we visit with old friends in DISClaimer.

Jeannie Seely, Tracy Byrd, Billy Ray Cyrus and Trace Adkins all dropped by with new sounds. Brett Eldredge and Chris Young are entering new phases of their careers.

Vying for the Disc of the Day prize are Eldredge, Old Dominion and our winner, the bi-lingual Cody Johnson & Carín León duet.

Taking home a DISCovery Award is Caroline Jones.

ALEX MILLER & TRACY BYRD / “The Byrd”
Writers: Alex Miller/Jerry Salley; Producer: Jerry Salley; Label: Billy Jam Records
– A boatload of fun. Dropping Byrd’s hit titles into the lyric of this rockabilly romp was a good place to start. A zippy production and pluperfect honky tonk vocals from both men are dandy additions. Loved it.

BRETT ELDREDGE / “Lonestar Lovers”
Writers: Brett Eldredge/Heather Morgan/Jon Green/Jordan Lehning; Producer: Jon Green; Label: Warm and Cozy Records
– Awesome. His voice has never sounded more lustrous, romantic and heartfelt. With synth strings soaring above him, Eldredge takes total mastery of this superb love ballad. I’ve always been a fan, and this just makes me even fonder of him. An artist at the peak of his powers.

ASHLEY COOKE / “The F Word”
Writers: Emily Weisband/Lori McKenna/Gordie Sampson; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: Big Loud Records
– Nominated as New Female Artist of the Year by the ACM, Cooke warbles this cute ditty like a songbird. The lilting ballad shifts between airy soprano sighing, whispered intimacy, honeyed romance and open-throated devotion. Highly listenable.

OLD DOMINION / “Me Most Nights”
Writers: Brad Tursi/Matthew Ramsey/Ross Copperman/Trevor Rosen; Producers: Old Dominion, Shane McAnally; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– Audio brilliance, as usual. The interplay between the guitars, the voices and the beats is just delicious. This ensemble just might be the most talented band in country music.

BOOMTOWN SAINTS / “This Side of the Dirt”
Writers: Adrienne Follese/Ben Chism/Chris Ramos/Keith Follese; Producers: Gary Kraen, Noah Gordon; Label: 8 Track Entertainment
– Stirring and uplifting. In this power ballad, they sing of living life to the fullest and cherishing adventure as we make our way through our time on earth. Ramos and Chism have carved out a special niche as one of our stellar indie duos. Keep singing, fellas—you’re coming in loud and clear.

CHRIS YOUNG / “Til the Last One Dies”
Writers: Ben Hayslip/Jordan Walker/Seth Mosley; Producers: Andy Sheridan, Chris Young; Label: Black River Entertainment
– He’s really, really good at this romance-music stuff. His baritone is so warm and inviting, it’s impossible to resist.

JEANNIE SEELY & MADELINE EDWARDS / “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)”
Writers: Jeannie Seely/Judith Arbuckle/Pat Sheeran/Randy Newman; Producers: Madeline Edwards, Rob McNelley; Label: Sony Music Publishing
– This is one sultry dose of ‘60s southern soul. This was Seely’s first success as a songwriter when Irma Thomas introduced it in 1964. The tune has since been recorded by Seal, Ruby Amanfu, Boyz II Men, The Ballroom Thieves and several others. Edwards and Seely bring it back in a languid, steamy duet arrangement. It’s part of a Women’s History Month initiative by Sony Publishing that re-imagines Seely’s songs for a new generation.

CODY JOHNSON & CARÍN LEÓN / “She Hurts Like Tequila”
Writers: Cody Johnson/Johan Sotelo/Orlando Aispuro Meneses/Oscar Armando Diaz de Leon Huez/Trent Willmon; Producer: Trent Willmon; Label: CoJo Music/Warner Music Nashville
– Cojo embraces his Lone Star State’s Hispanic heritage with this sublimely country waltz that blends Mexicali guitar, accordion and steel guitar. Latin superstar Carín León alternates with Spanish verses. A bi-lingual triumph. In a word, gracias.

CAROLINE JONES / “No Tellin’”
Writers: Caroline Jones/Clara Park/Lauren McLamb; Producers: Caroline Jones, Julian Raymond, Ric Wake; Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment
– Jones steps out from her membership in the Zac Brown Band with this snappy, bluegrassy stomper that rocks from start to finish. She’s vowing to spill the beans on her no-good ex so that he can’t hurt the next gal who falls for him. Tempo pleasure.

TRACE ADKINS / “That Someday”
Writers: Casey Beathard/Trace Adkins; Producer: Mickey Jack Cones; Label: Verge Records Nashville
– You can hear this dark revenge ballad during the closing credits of the new action film Day of Reckoning in which Adkins appears. Dramatic and doomy.

KASHUS CULPEPPER / “Southern Man”
Writers: Bear Rinehart/Kashus Culpepper; Producer: Brian Elmquist; Label: Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
– The slippery slide guitar work of Marcus King sizzles throughout this single. Culpepper’s Alabama-proud vocal struts his stuff while King answers every chorus instrumentally. Southern rock lives, but I liked Culpepper better when he was honky-tonkin.’

BILLY RAY CYRUS / “Ask”
Writers: Ben Burgess/Billy Ray Cyrus/Brandon Manley/Yung Lan; Producers: Brandon Manley, Eric Hurt, Yung Lan; Label: Roam Man Productions
– Eerie sounding. Cyrus speaks the lines in a dusty, deep baritone while guitars doodle in an echo chamber and a soprano wordlessly ooh’s off in the distance. Weird and strange.

MADDIE & TAE / “Drunk Girls in Bathrooms”
Writers: Jamie Moore/Maddie Font/Ryan Beaver/Taylor Kerr; Producer: Josh Kerr; Label: Mercury Nashville
– Now here’s a topic you don’t find addressed in songs every day. In this one, the Women’s Room is a merry place where ladies share confidences, makeup and love. They pick you up when you’re down and hold your hair when you puke. Best of all, this is all sung with a saucy, ultra-fun, joyful, upbeat production. A single with a built-in smile.

Robert K Oermann
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