It must be that time of the year.

The fourth-quarter releases are dropping regularly, and country’s big stars are vying for our attention. This week, alone, we have Toby Keith, George Strait, Kip Moore, Lee Ann Womack and Dustin Lynch, plus Eric Paslay and Chris Janson on hand to solidify their newly minted successes.

Kip, Lee Ann and Chris all have superb singles, but the Disc of the Day goes to the once and future king, George Strait.

Moonlight Social is back and sounding even better than ever. Another new duo, Dave & Whitney take home the DisCovery Award.

DUSTIN LYNCH/Mind Reader
Writers: Rhett Akins/Ben Hayslip; Producer: Brett Beavers/Luke Wooten/Mickey Jack Cones; Publishers:EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Rhettro Music (BMI) admin by EMI Blackwood Music, Inc., WB Music Corp., Tar Cam Knox Music (ASCAP) admin by WB Music Corp., Thankful for This Music (ASCAP) admin by WB Music Corp.; Broken Bow (track)
-The track seems needlessly “busy,” with a little too much going on. But the song and performance are solid.

GEORGE STRAIT/Cold Beer Conversation
Writers: Al Anderson/Ben Hayslip/Jimmy Yeary; Producers: Chuck Ainlay/George Strait; Publishers:International Dog/Bucked Up/WB/Tar Can Knox/Thankful For This/EMI Blackwood/Great Day At This/Beatyville, BMI/ASCAP; MCA (track)
-Totally classy, mellow and full of gentle grace. The groove is magical. His voice is so relaxed and warm, leaning toward you like an old friend. This is a country-music masterpiece.

DAVE & WHITNEY/Alibi
Writers: Rodney Clawson/Sarah Buxton/Jamie Moore; Producer: Dan Frizsell; Publisher: none listed; 45 (track)
-This is a feisty, frolicsome new duo hailing from rural Indiana. She has a saucy, foxy vocal delivery. He harmonizes and provides the lead electric guitar. Elsewhere on the EP, he handles some of the lead singing.

LEE ANN WOMACK/Chance Are
Writers: Hayes Carll; Producers: Frank Liddell/Chuck Ainlay/Glenn Worf; Publishers: Highway 87/BMG Chrysalis, SESAC; Sugar Hill (track)
-She pours soul all over this yearning ballad. Paul Franklin’s steel guitar sighs in poetic sympathy. Awesome listening.

MOONLIGHT SOCIAL/Rub A Little Dirt On It
Writers: Jeremy Burchard/Jennica Scott/Jo-Leah Tibury; Producers: Kelly Schoenfeld/Jeremy Burchard; Publishers: none listed; MS
-These two Texans can sure-nuff sing. This funky little thang is produced to provide plenty of space for their flawless harmonizing. I have liked this Jeremy-and-Jennica team in the past. This new single makes me positive that they deserve stardom. Somebody sign these folks up for the Big Time.

TOBY KEITH/Rum Is The Reason
Writers: Toby Keith/Scotty Emerick; Producers: Toby Keith/Mac McAnally; Publishers: Tokeco Tunes/Florida Room/BPJ, BMI; Show Dog (track)
-The mighty Toby takes a page from the Buffett Caribbean playbook and adds steel drums to this rollicking, feel-good track. “Take it home, Coral Reefers,” chuckles the singer.

ASHLEY CAMPBELL/Remembering
Writers: Ashley Campbell/Kai Welch; Producer: Julian Raymond; Publishers: WB/Chateau Banjo/Nettles and Bones, ASCAP; Dot
-Glen Campbell’s daughter marries a sad, wistful lyric to a strikingly lilting, uplifting melody. The breezy production overlays her refrain, “Daddy don’t you worry, I’ll do the remembering.” Recommended.

KIP MOORE/Running For You
Writers: Kip Moore/Troy Verges/Blair Daly; Producer: Brett James/Kip Moore; Publishers: Music of Stage Three/Songs of Cornman/Roll Through/BMG/Songs of Universal/Songs From the Engine Room/Southside Independent/Internal Combustion/Kickin’ Grids, BMI; MCA (track)
-Loaded with raspy fire and urgency. She’s leaving, but he loves her so much that he’ll be there in a heartbeat if she ever needs help. Blue-collar heartache with pounding passion. I dig this guy the most.

ERIC PASLAY/High Class
Writers: Eric Paslay/Corey Crowder/Jesse Frasure; Producer: Jesse Frasure/Marshall Altman; Publisher: WB/Five Foot Sixteen/Songs From the Rose Hotel/Rio Bravo/Telemitry, ASCAP/BMI; EMI (CDX)
-They might be a couple of rednecks, but just for tonight they’re living the upper-crust life. The track stutters relentlessly and he stays at the top of his vocal range all the way through. It kinda wears you out.

CHRIS JANSON/Power of Positive Drinkin’
Writers: Chris Janson/Mark Irwin/Chris DuBois; Producers: Brent Anderson/Chris DuBois/Chris Janson; Publishers: Red Vinyl/Buckkilla/Words & Music/House of Sea Gayle/Clearbox Rights/Green Vinyl, BMI/ASCAP; WB (CDX)
– Everything’s going wrong, so he’s headed for the neon lights to chug a bunch of beers in a row, until life looks a little more rosy. Joyously rhythmic and a merry lyric delight. Chalk up Big Hit #2 for this boy.

Leaves are falling and the fall releases are beginning to drop, too. One thing we do not have this week is a first-timer to the column. So I have no DisCovery Award recipient.

That being the case, let’s spread the love around with our Disc of the Day award. Absolutely, for certain, that belongs to mighty voiced Craig Morgan.

But if we want to salute a baby act, save some applause for Mo Pitney, whose sophomore single is a thing of perfect wonder. And for a left-field pleasure, give a listen to the imaginative vocal arranging skills of Home Free.

RACHELE LYNAE/Quicksand
Writers: Rachele Lynae/Danick Dupelle/Patricia Conroy; Producers: Jamie O’Neal/Rachele Lynae; Publishers: Rachele Lynae/Bend That Note/Emerson Drive/Patricia Conroy, ASCAP/SOCAN; Momentum
-She’s warning her girlfriend about a guy who is big trouble while the band rumbles around her in a ruckus. After such a rocking ride, the abrupt ending might give you whiplash.

HOME FREE & THE OAK RIDGE BOYS/Elvira
Writers: Dallas Frazier; Producers: Darren Rust/Home Free; Publishers: Sony-ATV Acuff Rose, BMI; Columbia (track)
-Home Free is the a cappella quintet that won on TV’s The Sing Off. They warble like perfectly harmonizing birds and have enormous talent for creatively re-arranging country classics like this one. If you think you’ve heard this song enough times already, trust me, you haven’t. This gives it a completely fresh sound. Elsewhere on the new Country Evolution CD are equally inventive re-workings of “9 to 5,” “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “Friends in Low Places,” “Fishin’ in the Dark” and more.

REBA McENTIRE/Until They Don’t Love You
Writers: Shane McAnally/Lori McKenna/Josh Osborne; Producers: Tony Brown/Reba; Publishers: Universal/Smack Ink/Hoodie Songs/One Little Indian Creek/Songs of Black River, ASCAP/BMI; Starstruck/Nash Icon (track)
-Lots of rhythm. Not much melody.

CRAIG MORGAN/When I’m Gone
Writers: Justin Ebach/Steven Dale Jones; Publishers: Byron Gallimore/Craig Morgan; Publishers:Whispering/Word/Son of Austin, SESAC/ASCAP; Black River
– He remains one of the greatest vocalists in this city, and this powerhouse performance of a pile-driving song proves it. It’s a ferociously soaring rocker about living life to the fullest. Sing it, brother.

ABBI WALKER/Well Behaved Too Long
Writers: Abbi Walker/P. Ryan Petkoff/Rich Alvarez; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Abbi Walker, BMI; Indie
-She gives this sassy number her best, but the production is rinky-dink cheesy.

GLEN CAMPBELL/Streets of London
Writer: McTell; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Westminster, no performance rights listed; Rainman (track)
-The “new” CD by this legend is a live album recorded in England in 1990. It includes full-band rendition of his big hits, plus Paul McCartney’s “Mull of Kintyre” (featuring his stunning bagpipe playing) and this lovely, heartfelt performance of Ralph McTell’s folk song accompanying himself on simple acoustic guitar. Pure talent.

STEPHANIE URBINA JONES/Bring It Back to the Heartland
Writers: Stephanie Urbina Jones/Mark Marchetti; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Casa Del Rio/Mark Marchetti, SESAC/BMI; Casa Del Rio
-I have long been a fan of this lady’s work. Her voice is as throaty and emotive as ever on this topical single. The lyric yearns to bring the nation back to its better years when we had mom-and-pop stores, products made in the U.S.A., family farms, good jobs and the American Dream.

JOHN ANDERSON/Don’t Forget To Thank The Lord
Writers: John D. Anderson/John Rich; Producers: John Anderson/Joe Spivey; Publisher: none listed; Bayou Boys (track)
-John says not to take things for granted. Remember to thank teachers, preachers, policemen, firemen, mothers, soldiers and at the end of the day, the man upstairs. The loping rhythm, fiddle work, steel backing and guitar chops are all first rate. As is his singing, of course.

JON PARDI/Head Over Boots
Writers: Jon Pardi/Luke Laird; Producers: Bart Butler/Jon Pardi; Publishers: Golden Vault/Bill Butler/Song Factory/Songs of Universal/Creative Nation, BMI; Capitol (CDX)
-This goes down smooth and easy with its lulling, gentle rhythm and simple, smiling lyric of romance. Sweet and youthful.

MO PITNEY/Boy and a Girl Thing
Writers: Mo Pitney/Don Sampson; Producer: Tony Brown; Publishers: Mike Curb/She’s My Darlin/House of Sea Gayle, BMI/ASCAP; Curb (CDX)
-This is ultra cool, a soft, dreamy groove that’s as comfy as a hammock on a summer afternoon. You’ll think it is understated at first, but this will definitely get under your skin and into your memory bank. The kid just might be our next big star. I wanna hear Mo.

Judging by the sounds reviewed today, the country genre has officially gone completely pop.

Not one of these tracks could be described as “country” in any conventional sense of the term. One of them is white rap. Two of them are folk. The rest are all written and produced as Nashville pop. Which is evidently what “country music” is these days.

There are two young ladies named Emily in the mix. Emily Vance and Emily Haines are sharing the DisCovery Award.

The Disc of the Day goes to the always-listenable Zac Brown Band.

SUSAN HARTMAN/My Instinct
Writers: Susan Hartman; Producer: Eddie Gore; Publisher: Pink Scarf, ASCAP; Pink Scarf (track)
-Rollicking and rocking and highly involving, but perhaps a little too arty in production and song construction for country music. Pitch her pop.

ASHLEY GEARING/Train Track
Writers: Maren Morris/Jon Nite/Jimmy Robbins; Producers: Kenny Greenberg & Chad Cromwell; Publishers: International Dog/Words & Music/EMI April/Jon Mark Nite/Extraordinary Alien/Universal, BMI/ASCAP; Curb (CDX)
-It’s a kiss-off, but a mighty sweet and sunny sounding one. The full-bodied production and her soaring vocal are both exactly right. Recommended.

ANDY GRAMMER & ELI YOUNG BAND/Honey I’m Good
Writers: Andy Grammer/Nolan Sipe; Producer: Mike Daly; Publishers: Ladder Soul Music / S-Curve Songs (BMI), Sony/ATV / Nolan W. Sipe Music (ASCAP); S-Curve/Valory
-Bouncy and poppy. Packed with hand claps, electronic burbles, woo-hoo backing vocals, banjo and stuttering rhythms.

EMERSON DRIVE/Til The Summer’s Gone
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; TTA (ERG)
-Poor timing. This breezy, catchy, sing-along, summer-sounding song is coming out about three months too late.

THE LACS & JOSH THOMPSON/Tonight On Repeat
Writers: C. Sharpe, B. King, B. Berryhill, E. Coffman, B. Hill, J. Benson; Producers: Brock Berryhill & Evan Coffman; Publishers: Average ZJS Music Publishing (BMI), Don’t Be A Gypsy (BMI), Distinctive Third (BMI), Brothers By Fate (BMI), Joseph Benson (BMI); Average Joes
-I hate country rap.

ZAC BROWN BAND/Beautiful Drug
Writers: Zac Brown/Niko Moon; Producer: In The Arena; Publishers: Day for the Dead/Southern Ground, SESAC; No Reserve/Republic (track)
-Propulsive, driving and relentless. Hang on for the second chorus when the harmonies, rhythm, electronics and atmosphere all kick in with full force. What a rush.

SIBLING RIVALRY/Home
Writers: Butaud/Butaud/Cotten/Johnson; Producers: Shane Stevens & Neeki Bey; Publishers: none listed; SR (track)
-Singer Olivia Butaud with her acoustic guitarist older brother Mitchell Butaud on harmony vocals have a tender, touching tune about the lonely death of a homeless man. Very folkie.

EMILY HAINES/Outside In
Writers: Janine LeClair/Michael Howard/Josh Thompson; Producer: Dean Scallan; Publishers: none listed; BMI; SSM (track)
-She has a vibrato that is quite ear catching in this bluesy, minor-key little outing. Intriguing.

EMILY VANCE/Serendipity
Writers: Carolina Baldridge/Emily Vance; Producers: Zac Odom/Kenneth Mount; EV (CDX)
-Very feminine and frothy. It has a giddy, girlish quality that makes you smile.

VINCE MATTHEWS & JIM CASEY/Melva’s Wine
Writers: Vince Matthews; Producers: Shel Silverstein, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson & Jack Clement; Publishers: Universal, BMI; Delmore Recording Society (track)
-Co-producer Johnny Cash called this “the greatest contemporary American folk song I ever heard.” I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it is a nice, acoustic, sing-song-y, simple ditty. It can be found on a song cycle called The Kingston Springs Suite. It was recorded in 1972 and performed as an “opera” once in 1978, but never released until now. These are folk songs and recitations about small-town people and small-town life. Colorful songwriter Vince Matthews died in 2003 at age 63, leaving behind such gems as “Love in the Hot Afternoon” (Gene Watson), “This Is My Year for Mexico” (Crystal Gayle), “The Toast of ‘45” (Sammi Smith) and cuts by Cash, Waylon, Hank Jr., Charley Pride, Webb Pierce and Gordon Lightfoot, plus this collection. His co-writer Jim Casey saved the tapes of this conceptual curiosity.

Nashville’s country gals are having a tough time, but their pop/rock sisters in Music City are doing just fine, thank you.

Even without the presences of Taylor Swift, Amy Grant, Hayley Williams (of Paramore), Erin McCarley, Ashley Cleveland, Bonnie Bramlett, Butterfly Boucher, Jessie Baylin, Kim Carnes, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Marshall Chapman, Bekka Bramlett, Sheryl Crow, Benita Hill, Janis Ian, Ruby Amanfu, Brooke Waggoner, Tracy Nelson, Kim Richey, Kesha or Meghan Trainor, Nashville women completely dominate this pop/rock edition of “DisClaimer.”

Two divas are at the forefront. Emily West and Kelly Clarkson share the Disc of the Day prize with entries that are showcases for their respective volcanic vocal talents.

The DisCovery Award goes to the punk-rocking Bully and its leader, Alicia Bognanno.

EMILY WEST/Bitter
Writers: Emily West/Julian Emery/Jodi Marr; Producer: Dustin Ransom; Publisher: none listed; Portrait (track)
-Former Capitol country starlet Emily West should have been the next Faith Hill. Instead, she rose to national TV fame as a reinvented, stunningly glamorous, pop singer on last season’s America’s Got Talent. Her new All For You CD features tunes she has torched on the show, including “Nights In White Satin,” “Chandelier” and “Sea of Love.” This standout original is torrid and passionate in all the right places, with an hooky chorus that gives her space to shout her fierce soprano power. Superbly done.

ANGEL SNOW/Secret
Writers: Angel Snow/Perrin Lamb; Producer: Sorted Noise; Publisher: EmmettTill, ASCAP; AS (track) 
-A throbbing electronic backing frames her clear, soulful, resonant alto delivery. I love the way this is mixed with such perfect balance. Enthralling from start to finish. Snow could be Nashville’s next stealth pop weapon.

BEBE BUELL & THE NASHVILLE ACES/Secret Sister
Writers: Bebe Buell/Jon Tiven/Jimmy Walls; Producer: Jon Tiven; Publishers: Musesque/Unconrolled Composition, BMI; AmerEclectic
-Recent Nashville transplant Buell is famed in rock circles for her modeling career, relationships with superstars (Steven Tyler, Todd Rundgren, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, etc.), being the mom of Liv Tyler and penning the infectious 2001 memoir Rebel Heart. She has long been a music maker, as well. Her single pairs this snappy punk rocker with the autobiographical, alt-country ditty “Hello Music City.” Welcome home.

JOY WILLIAMS/Woman (Oh Mama)
Writers: Joy Williams/Matt Morris/Audra Mae; Producers: Matt Morris/Daniel James; Publishers: Here’s To Me/EMI Blackwood/Music of Big Deal/Mass Transit/BMG Rights/WB/AMAE, BMI/ASCAP; Columbia (track)
– Former CCM record maker and Civil Wars co-star Williams has a new solo CD called Venus. Its lead-off single is a tribal, earth-mother chant celebrating women as the cosmic center of everything. Rhythm crazed.

BUZZ CASON & STEELISM/Record Machine
Writers: Cason/Cason; Producer: Buzz Cason; Publisher: none listed; Plowboy (track)
-Back in 1955, Cason became the frontman of The Casuals, Nashville’s first rock ‘n’ roll band. Wonderfully and astoundingly, he is still at it. The title tune of his latest CD is a bluesy salute to his family’s record player. Amid dandy electric guitar work, he adds his own harmonica solo. There’s even the sound of a vinyl needle drop. A smile a minute.

KELLY CLARKSON/Invincable
Writers: Sia Furler/Jesse Shatkin/Stephen Mostyn/Warren Felder; Producer: Jesse Shatkin; Publishers: EMI/EMI April/Aidenjulius/Oxmod/Nana’s Hands/Sony-ATV/Crow’s Tree, ASCAP/BMI; RCA/19 (track)
-Clarkson’s new single from her Piece By Piece album is an echoey, thunderous, power ballad. She enacts a wronged woman who becomes a courageous warrior, and boy does she have the pipes for it. How refreshing to hear someone who can actually sing, in a pop sea full of autotuned, electronic drones. Sing on, sister.

LEIGH NASH/Spider and the Moth
Writers: Leigh Nash/Jesse Hall; Producer: Brendan Benson; Publishers: BMG Silver/Woman Hollering/Jesse Hall, SESAC/BMI; Thirty Tigers/One
-The former Sixpence None the Richer pop princess (”Kiss Me,” “There She Goes”) still has her charming, pixie-like soprano. But her forthcoming CD, The State I’m In (due Sept. 18), replaces some of her pop sheen with country-influenced tracks. The set kicks off with this piano-backed waltz. Her little vocal breaks are delightful. Recommended.

SHEILA LAWRENCE/Little Bit of Lovin’
Writers: Sheila Lawrence; Producer: Greg Foresman & Sheila Lawrence; Publisher: She Songs, SESAC; Fallen Tree (track)
-Lawrence tours as a backup singer with Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Brenda Lee. Here at home, we know her as part of the nuclear stage attraction Kentucky Thunder, alongside Vicki Carrico, Etta Britt and Jonell Mosser, all of whom join her for two performances on her solo CD, Down 1297. But this blue-eyed soul inferno goes it alone on this ferociously rocking album opener. Get up and dance.

BULLY/Trying
Writers: Alicia Bognanno; Producer: Alicia Bognanno; Publisher: Alicia Bognanno, BMI; Columbia/Star
-The Nashville four-piece Bully is nominally a band, but Alicia Bognanno is its singer, songwriter and producer. Her quasi-strangled pleas are shouted over a thrashing, punk track that is just pop enough to make her/them mainstream. This is one of two videos from the debut CD, Feels Like, the other being “Brainfreeze.” Young, scrappy and energetic.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD/Melting Place
Writers: Jeff The Brotherhood; Producers: Joe Chiccarelli & Jeff the Brotherhood; Publishers: Automatic Bzooty/Otissery/WB, ASCAP; Infinity Cat (track)
-Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall are back with a new album titled Wasted on the Dream. Its debut single begins as a deliberately stomping audio elephant, then morphs into a nervous, buzzing, electric-guitar mosquito. Nouveau psychedelic rock.

I believe these are called the dog days of summer.

Sure enough, you’ll find some “dogs” among these new sounds. But there are some real purebred pups strutting around in this column, too. Listen to Rick Monroe, Shanna Henderson and Rusty Golden, for instance. Our DisCovery Award goes to an excellent vocalist named Mike Ryan. He has an album that’s a gem from start to finish.

Unquestionably today’s Best In Show is the classy duet record by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard. It is the Disc of the Day.

LESLIE COURS MATHER/Hell Hath No Fury
Writer: Kelly Lang; Producer: Denny Diante
—She handles this horn-punctuated, feminist, retro-styled blues tune with aplomb. It’s a warning to a guy who hurts a woman that he’s doomed, and how. Nice work.

DEREK ANTHONY/If I Don’t
Producer: Steve Mandile; Bluant Music Group
—He sings well, but the song is pretty wordy and seems to take an awfully long time to get to its hook.

WILLIE NELSON & MERLE HAGGARD & JAMEY JOHNSON/It’s All Going to Pot
Writer: Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson/Larry Shell; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Publisher: Run Slow/BMG Rights/EMI Blackwood/Big Gassed Hitties/Not Her Money
—The Willie-Hag duet CD is called Django and Jimmie. It contains a handful of classics (Willie’s “Family Bible,” Haggard’s “Swinging Doors” and “Somewhere Between”), but really comes alive when the two legends swap lines on new Music Row tunes. This one is a lively, Mexicali-flavored bopper that romps through humorous lyrics with delightfully light-hearted finesse. Jamey Johnson adds harmonies, and later on you’ll find Bobby Bare guesting on the boom-chicka-boom Haggard tune “Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash.” Buy this record.

ANITA STAPLETON & GENE WATSON/Just Someone I Used to Know
Writer: Jack Clement; Producer: Dirk Johnson; Publisher: Glad/Pappy Daily/Universal; DirkWorks
—This is such a brilliant country song. Its new revival won’t erase the memory of the 1969 Porter & Dolly original (or the fine Jeannie Seely/Jack Greene version), but these voices blend quite well, and the production is perfect. Newcomer Anita handles the melody, while the fabulous Gene shadows her in flawless harmony.

MIKE RYAN/Bad Reputation
Writer: Ryan/Anderson/DuBois; Producer: Brent Anderson & Ben Phillips
—This strong singing Lone Star State boy rocks and wails on this energetic outing, the title tune of his current CD. The accompaniment is tighter and slicker than we are used to hearing on Texas productions. Special kudos to the lead electric guitarist.

RUSTY GOLDEN/Sober
Writer: Jeffrey Steele; Producer: Scott Baggett;RGM
—I have always liked this guy’s work, from way back when he was a kid in the Nashville pop/rock groups The Boys Band, GoldenSpeer and The Goldens. The son of new Country Hall of Fame member William Lee Golden of the Oaks has since had a tumultuous life as a gospel and country songwriter, a session musician, a record producer, a survivor of heart bypass surgery and a druggie. His first solo album is a collection of songs about recovery. The title tune by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Jeffrey Steele will touch your heart with its inspirational fervor. Whether you’ve ever been through recovery or not, this album will do you a world of good.

SARAH ROSS/Shotgun
Average Joes
—Female white rap. Pass.

RICK MONROE/Just the Same
Writer: Jason Brunswick/Josh Dunne/Rick Monroe; Producer: Steve Freeman; MRG
—I dig this fellow. His recent EP spawned the excellent “Great Minds Drink Alike” and “Fire’s Out.” Now expanded into a full-length CD titled It’s a Love Thing, it includes this new, atmospheric. romantic crooner. I like the way he goes from a whisper to a baritone swoon. A relentless touring artist, this solid citizen, talented vocalist and fine songwriter deserves some kind of major-label endorsement.

LINDI ORTEGA/Tell It Like It Is
Writer: Lindi Ortega; Producer: Colin Linden; Last Gang
—I remain a fan. Lindi’s new collection is called Faded Gloryville. It features this throbbing, echo-chamber performance that shines a spotlight on her penetrating soprano as well as her songwriting chops. Americana programmers also take note.

SHANNA HENDERSON/Hell Or Highwater
Writer: Ben Stennis/Katie Kessler; Producer: Ben Stennis & Blake Bollinger
—Banjo notes decorate this moody, sultry performance. Her forceful, laser-arrow vocal hits a bullseye with every phrase. Promising.