DISClaimer Single Reviews: Emily Ann Roberts Delivers A ‘Delightful Listening Experience’

/by

The male country-music superstars have their day today, but none of them claimed a DISClaimer award.

Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Russell Dickerson, Ray Stevens and Rodney Atkins all issued worthy new singles this week. But the female voices were just as captivating. Add Ella Langley, The Band Perry, Disc of the Day winner Emily Ann Roberts and DISCovery Award winners The Burnett Sisters Band to your playlists pronto.

EMILY ANN ROBERTS / “Whipped”
Writers: Emily Ann Roberts/Jeremy Spillman/Trent Willmon/Ryan Beaver; Producer: Brandon Hood; Label: RECORDS/Sony
– Wonderfully playful and smartly rocking. He’s a man’s-man, but she’s in charge. “Got me wrapped around his finger/But he don’t know I’ve got the upper hand.” A delightful listening experience. This gal is batting a thousand—every single is a gem.

VINCE GILL / “Down at the Borderline”
Writers: Vince Gill/Liz Rose; Producer: Vince Gill; Label: MCA
– Gill takes a trip to Louisiana in this rump-shaking, Cajun-flavored tempo tune. The whole track is a rollicking ride, and Lainey Wilson is on board with a lively vocal harmony. Get up and and dance.

RUSSELL DICKERSON / “The Roses”
Writers: Russell Dickerson/Michael Hardy/Chase McGill/Jordan Schmidt; Producers: Russell Dickerson, Josh Kerr; Label: Triple Tigers
– The high-energy showman proves his mettle as a balladeer with this ultra-romantic, piano ode to love and commitment. Beautifully done.

LUKE COMBS / “Be By You”
Writers: Dan Alley/Sam Banks/Nick Walsh; Producers: Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton, Chip Matthews; Label: Sony
– A gently swaying hammock of sound cushions a softly caressing vocal performance. Soothing, sweet, and dreamy.

THE BURNETT SISTERS BAND / “Blaming You”
Writer: Gail Ann Amundsen; Producers: none listed; Label: Pinecastle
– This group’s Easy Come, Easy Go album is No. 1 in the bluegrass charts. This fiddle-led waltz is the collection’s lovely latest single. The tune really comes alive on the triple-harmonized choruses. Bluegrass purists beware, the sound includes steel guitar. The rest of us are going to smile and sway along.

ELLA LANGLEY / “Be Her”
Writers: Ella Langley/Jordan Schmidt/Smith Ahnquist/Michael Hardy; Producers: Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West; Label: SAWGOD/Columbia
– Enchanting. A delicious pop confection that’s sweet in all the right places. She’s yearning for self acceptance as she counts down all the markers of confidence and truth.

RED CLAY STRAYS / “If I Didn’t Know You”
Writers: Drew Nix/Natalie Hemby; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: HBYCO/RCA
– The redemptive power of True Love infuses this somber ballad. The band marches to a slow, deliberate stomp while the vocalist rips into the lyric.

RODNEY ATKINS / “The Years Are Short”
Writers: Casey Beathard/Monty Criswell; Producers: Ted Hewitt, Brandon Hood, Rodney Atkins; Label: Curb
– A tender, affecting meditation on fatherhood. Country-music wisdom, found in three chords and the truth.

THE WAR AND TREATY / “If This Day”
Writers: Diane Warren; Producers: Desmond Child, Marti Frederiksen, Leslie Greif; Label: MCA
– Goose bumps all over. These twin towering infernos of vocal power bring gospel intensity to a meaningful message: If this was the last day of your life, would you be proud of what you’ve left behind? The track comes from The Gray House TV soundtrack. The limited series launches on Feb. 26.

LEE BRICE / “Country Nowadays”
Writers: Lee Brice/Matt Alderman/Nate Kenyon; Producers: none listed; Label: Curb
– Whining about how difficult it is to have values and morals these days. Puh-leeze.

THE BAND PERRY / “Psychological”
Writers: Ciara Park/Grace Tyler/Colton Venner; Producers: Dann Huff, Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen; Label: Nashville Harbor
– This act is now a duo (Kimberly Perry & Johnny Costello), with no brothers in sight. The comeback single is a well written ditty — the boyfriend drives her so crazy that he makes her going psycho, logical. Definitely worth your spins.

RAY STEVENS / “Savannah”
Writer: Nick Sibley; Producer: Ray Stevens; Label: Curb
– Stevens surrounds his crooning with a synth-y, big-band arrangement on this ode to a city in his home state of Georgia. Old-school pop that goes down smoothly.

ATLUS / “Spare Key”
Writers: Atlus/Rian Ball/Nick Boyd; Producers: Andrew Baylis; Label: BBR/BMG
– The verses are delivered in intimate, conversational fashion. Then he unleashes a fiery, anguished shout as he confronts his devastated relationship. They were dreaming of moving in together, until she suddenly split, leaving him just the spare key he’d once given her. You’ll hang on every line.

Robert K Oermann
Latest posts by Robert K Oermann (see all)