DISClaimer Single Reviews: Megan Moroney Salutes ‘The King Of No-Shoes Nation’

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Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney. Photo: CeCe Dawson

Real country sounds dominate this edition of DISClaimer.

Bucking the trends of pop-country and hip-hop in the genre, a number of folks are laying down some back-to-basics sounds this week. They include McCoy Moore, Jamey Johnson with Lily Maola, a Reba/Miranda/Lainey trio, Matt Schuster, Jim Lauderdale, Jake Worthington and DISCovery Award winner Evan Bartels. Even Bruce Springsteen is on board, serving up a splendid retro rockabilly track.

The Disc of the Day is a salute to the king of the no-shoes nation—“You Had to Be There,” starring Megan Moroney with Kenny Chesney.

WENDY MOTEN / “You Are Worthy”
Writers: Faith Caplinger/Wendy Moten; Producer: Dale Penner; Label: Synapse Publishing & Entertainment
– Moten’s delivery of this stately, inspirational blues anthem is riveting. Her goosebump-y performance is utterly thrilling. It’s drawn from a documentary in production titled Women Behind the Lyrics – Country Edition, which follows four female indie singer-songwriters as they craft music and tour together. In the meantime, she’s hitting the road for a summer tour in Vince Gill’s band starting this month.

MEGAN MORONEY & KENNY CHESNEY / “You Had to Be There”
Writers: Ben Williams/Mackenzie Carpenter/Megan Moroney/Micah Carpenter; Producer: Kristian Bush; Label: Columbia Nashville/Columbia Records
– What a complete delight. This sounds like a party, if I’ve ever heard one. Moroney wrote it as a thank-you to Chesney for taking her out on tour when her career was launching last year. He jumps right into the spirit of things as she unspools this romping bopper. Here comes summer.

EVAN BARTELS / “To Make You Cry”
Writers: Bobby Tomberlin/Curt Gibbs/Evan Bartels; Producers: Dave “Squirrel” Covell, Evan Bartels, Rico Csabai; Label: Lost Highway Records
– The title tune of this artist’s debut major-label CD is a stark, hushed, gripping ballad performed in a trembling, dark baritone that commands attention. He recorded it in his cabin with just acoustic-guitar accompaniment. That and a few echoey production touches are all that’s needed to make you sit up and take notice. A major new voice.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN / “Repo Man”
Writer: Bruce Springsteen; Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Ron Aniello; Label: Columbia/Legacy
– The Boss recorded a full country album in 1995 that has remained unissued until now. Titled Somewhere North of Nashville, it will drop next month. This advance track is a rockabilly rave-up with energy busting out of every groove. Augmented by steel and keyboards, the band cooks up a storm as he barks out this barn burner. A boatload of fun.

JAKE WORTHINGTON / “It Ain’t the Whiskey”
Writers: Jake Worthington/Jeff Hyde/Roger Springer/Will Banister; Producer: Joey Moi; Label: Big Loud Records
– He gets pulled over for drunk driving, but insists he’s just high on her love. Along with Zach Top, Worthington is our finest emerging country singer, and this tongue-in-cheek hillbilly rocker is a brilliant showcase of his talent. Absolutely play this and free your mind. It’s about dang time country music started sounding like country music again.

REBA McENTIRE, MIRANDA LAMBERT & LAINEY WILSON / “Trailblazer”
Writers: Brandy Clark/Lainey Wilson/Miranda Lambert; Producers: Reba McEntire, Tony Brown; Label: Rockin’ R Records
– Introduced at the ACM Awards, this is an utterly historic collaboration among three generations of female country excellence. The song name checks Dolly, Loretta, Patsy and Tammy as it two-steps its way into your heart. A stunning, undeniable single.

JIM LAUDERDALE / “Artificial Intelligence”
Writer: Jim Lauderdale; Producers: Jay Weaver, Jim Lauderdale; Label: Sky Crunch Records
– Leave it to Lauderdale. He’s got his fingertips on the national pulse as he muses that AI is “testing our common sense: what’s real or deep fake.” As the honky-tonk moaner progresses, he ultimately wonders, “Did I write this song?”

LAUREN ALAINA & CHASE MATTHEW / “All My Exes”
Writers: Ben Johnson/Jimmy Gutch/Lauren Alaina/Whitney Phillips; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Joey Moi; Label: Big Loud Records
– She knows she’s a handful. He knows that he’s hard-headed, too. Apparently, all of their former partners will attest to this. The pop track has a choppy rhythm pattern and some looped sonic touches. Pleasant, but little more.

JOHN COWAN / “Boomerang”
Writers: none listed; Producer: Scott Vestal; Label: True Lonesome
– The voice of New Grass Revival returns to form on this complex acoustic track packed with mandolin, fiddle, bass and guitar runs, flourishes and solos. His high-tenor vocal wails with the heartbreak of repeating romantic disasters. It’s drawn from his current collection titled Fiction.

SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL / “Amen”
Writers: Collins Obinna Chibueze/Danny Majic/Jackson Foote/Jason DeFord/Jordan Gray/Kevin Powers/Nevin Sastry/Sean Cook/Seth Ennis; Producers: Danny Majic, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook; Label: American Dogwood/EMPIRE
– The hand-clapping track strums along merrily. but the lyric means business. They’re headed for self destruction, but drop to their knees to beg for redemption, mercy and renewal. Breezy and ridiculously catchy. You’ll find it on the Deluxe edition of Shaboozey’s Gold-selling LP Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going.

LILY MEOLA & JAMEY JOHNSON / “Never Want This to Change”
Writers: Ben West/Lily Meola/Melissa Fuller; Producer: Ben West; Label: Nettwerk Music Group
– Hawaii native Meola has an aching, soulful, penetrating delivery. Johnson shadows her every jazz-country vocal lick perfectly on this slow-burn love ballad. Magnificently done.

McCOY MOORE / “John Deere Blue”
Writers: Johnny Clawson/McCoy Moore/Shane McAnally; Producer: Will Bundy; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– He’ll get over her when money grows on trees, cowboy go East, stars shine brighter over New York City and when they paint a John Deere blue. Classy, classic-sounding country.

MATT SCHUSTER / “Dumb (Good Ol’ Time)”
Writers: Cleo Tighe/Jesse Fink/Joshua Murty/Peter Fenn; Producers: Joshua Murty, Peter Fenn; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– He’s headed for a good time, “trying to get dumb, dumb, dumb.” Sounds like a happy dope to me. The track percolates relentlessly with an appropriately silly vibe.

Robert K Oermann
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