It’s a girl-power day.
Males dominate the releases this week – what else is new? – but the ladies have most of the best sounds. The finest vocal comes from Bekka Bramlett. The most refreshing new production approach belongs to Heidi Feek. The Disc of the Day is by Ashley Monroe. And the DisCovery Award goes to Leah Turner.
Meanwhile, such fellows as Robby Armstrong and George Ducas remain stuck in that endless country-party loop. The male highlights include Rodney Atkins with his stirring song and Brett Eldredge with his equally stirring groove.
PETE ANDERSON & BEKKA BRAMLETT/Rock In My Shoe
Writer: Pete Anderson; Producers: Michael Murphy and Tony Rambo; Publisher: Jesse Lee, BMI; Little Dog (track)
-Swamp country, with a heaping load of bluesy guitar groove answering Bekka’s every soul-sister vocal lick. Beyond cool. Pete’s just-released CD is titled Birds Above Guitarland. If you have even a passing acquaintance with a six string, you need this record.
THE GOOD INTENTIONS/Hank’s Last Ride
Writer: R Peter Davies; Producer: Rick Shea; Publisher: none listed; Drumfire (track)
-It’s sung from Hank’s point of view, as he contemplates getting into that fateful Cadillac. Unfortunately, the vocalist sounds like he’s at a tea party with his pinky finger raised.
BRETT ELDREDGE/Beat of the Music
Writers: Brett Eldredge/Ross Copperman/Heather Morgan; Producers: Ross Copperman & Brett Eldredge; Publishers: Paris Not France/Smith Wiles/EMI Blackwood/Ross Copperman/4 Tunes/Sony-ATV Tree, BMI; Atlantic
-Pretty dang irresistible. Falling in love has seldom sounded so catchy and so much fun. Also, he’s singing his lungs out on every one of the soaring choruses. You know what? You’ll sing along.
BOBBY ARMSTRONG/Birthday Happy
Writers: Robby Armstrong/Darrell Brown; Producers: Darrell Brown and Robby Armstrong; Publishers: Robby Armstrong/Grey Ink/BMG Chrysalis, ASCAP; Strong Arm
-All rocked up and no place to go.
RODNEY ATKINS/Doin’ It Right
Writers: Jay Knowles; Producers: Ted Hewitt & Rodney Atkins; Publishers: Dean-Parnell/Acme Nashville/BMI; Curb
-His greatest effort since “If You’re Going Through Hell” in 2006. The production makes my heart beat faster. The lyric fires my brain. His performance rings with heartfelt country honesty. I believe in everything about this record. Play it over and over again. Make it a No. 1 hit.

LEAH TURNER/Take The Keys
Writers: Leah Turner/Cary Barlowe/Jesse Frasure; Producers: Jim Catino, Cary Barlowe and Jesse Frasure; Publishers: WB/Rockin T/Thankful For This Music/Castle Bound/We Be Pawtying/Rio Bravo, ASCAP/SESAC/BMI; Columbia
-Head for the open road, sing along to the radio and fall back in love. Sounds like a plan to me. Especially when it has such a lovely, airy, rushing production and such a winning, confident vocal performance.
ASHLEY MONROE/Weed Instead of Roses
Writers: Ashley Monroe/Sally Barris/Jon McElroy; Producers: Vince Gill and Justin Niebank; Publishers: Reynsong/Ayden/Wrensong/Vista Larga/Songs of Mighty Isis, BMI/ASCAP; Warner Bros.
-A twangin’ hoot. The saucy song has a few sexy suggestions about how to spice up a relationship. Hilariously hillbilly, complete with galloping piano and stuttering steel. In a word, brilliant.
TJ BROSKOFF/This Is The Moment
Writers: TJ Broskoff; Producers: Bill Green and TJ Broskoff; Publisher: Bill Green, BMI; BGM (track)
-His slightly hoarse tenor vocal style draws you in. The barely-there production is simple and straightforward, embellished by tidy fiddle and steel licks. The song is a toe tapper that goes down easily.
GEORGE DUCAS/CowTown
Writers: J. Beavers/G. Ducas; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Loud Ranch (track)
-The Ducas disc comeback is a rockin’ party song with plenty of guitar and attitude. Relentlessly rhythmic.
HEIDI FEEK/Someday Somebody
Writers: Heidi Feek/Rory Feek; Producer: Heidi Feek & Rory Feek; Publishers: Western Pinup/Milkbarn, SESAC/BMI; Western Pinup
-The production has a bottomless, bassy echo. Her performance of the bluesy, languid tune is sultry and lushly harmonized. The deep-twang guitar solo only adds to the track’s cool, mysteroso vibe. Highly inventive and intriguing. Heidi is gifted singer-songwriter Rory Lee Feek’s offpring. Like father, like daughter, it seems.

I think the day is nearing when national media outlets will finally stop voicing surprise when a major pop, r&b or rock record emerges from Nashville. We have been reminding them with The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Ke$ha, Paramore, Jack White, Hot Chelle Rae, durable Delbert McClinton and John Hiatt, Ben Folds, Los Straightjackets, Lambchop, The Evinrudes, JEFF the Brotherhood, Bela Fleck, Larry Carlton, Take 6, Keb Mo, Will Hoge, Ruby Amanfu and many more for years now.
Several of our established stars have discs in this week’s column. Even more exciting is the presence on our non-country scene of such new faces as Wild Cub, Cooper and Ed Sheeran. The soul-singing Cooper wins the DisCovery Award. The Disc of the Day belongs to Matthew Perryman Jones.
BELA FLECK & THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY/The Impostor Concerto
Writers: Bela Fleck; Producers: Bela Fleck, Blanton Alspaugh and Jesse Lewis; Publishers: Juno Jasper, no performance rights listed; Mercury/Decca
-After somewhat ominous woodwind and string sections’ opening remarks, Fleck’s banjo enters with a surprising soft and gentle tone. While the strings continue to underscore him, the instrumentalist’s playing becomes a bit more intense. As the concerto unfolds, Fleck alternates lilting solo passages with full-bodied orchestral ones. He often introduces a melodic line, and then has the orchestra play and build on it. He uses the ensemble well, employing its emotional dynamics and volume to contrast with his solo playing. I like this piece. It is the jazzman’s first significant work in this idiom, and perhaps this is why it is so beautifully restrained and conservative. Don’t expect any atonality or radically shifting tempi. Melody rules here.
TIM EASTON/Troubled Times
Writers: T. Easton; Producers: Brad Jones and Robin Eaton; Publisher: Campfire, ASCAP; Campfire
-This Nashville singer-songwriter-guitarist adopts a delightful neo-rockabilly mode on this track from his new Not Cool CD. The whole thumpy collection has a Sun Records ‘50s vibe, albeit with an up-to-date, super audio gloss of echo, twang and urgency. It is impossible not to like this record.
TRAIN & ASHLEY MONROE/Bruises
Writers: Pat Monahan, Espin Lind, Amund Bjorklund; Producers: Butch Walker and Espionage; Publishers: EMI April/Ptimon/Stellar, ASCAP; Columbia (track)
-Our own Appalachian Ashley has been out on the road with Train this summer, playing for crowds of 15,000 to 20,000 fans a night. “Bruises,” her duet with the band and its lead singer Pat Monahan, became a decent-sized A/C hit during that time. Its crunchy, story-telling charms are so numerous I don’t know where to start. His pleading tenor and her mountain soprano sound great together, and the lyric of lost loves is just terrific. You’ll find it on Train’s dandy, pop-pop-pop CD California 37: Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour Edition.
MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES/Waking Up The Dead
Writers: Matthew Perryman Jones; Producer: Cason Cooley; Publisher: Smoldering Wick, ASCAP; Cante Jondo
-Notable recently for his participation on the marvelous Ten Out of Tenn tours and recordings, Jones now has his fifth solo CD on the market. Titled Land of the Living, it contains this stirring, celestial, driving, propulsive rock track. He sings above a furiously frothing track like a man possessed. Get up and DANCE, people.
ED SHEERAN/Lego House
Writers: Ed Sheeran, Jake Gosling, Chris Leonard; Producer: Jake Gosling; Publishers: Sony-ATV/The Movement/BDi, no performance rights listed; Elektra (track)
-This 2012 Grammy nominee (for “The A Team”) and Taylor Swift tour opener is residing in Music City these days. The British singer-songwriter has had an outstanding year with his international-sales-phenomenon debut CD titled +. This latest single from it continues to mine his breathy, youthful singing style and sweetly melodic songwriting. His performances on the Grammys (with Elton John) and recently on the MTV Music Awards don’t begin to reflect how well crafted his album is.
BEN FOLDS FIVE/Sky High
Writers: Darren Jessee; Producer: Leo Overtoom; Publisher: Hair Sucker; BMI; Ima Vee Pee/Sony
-Folds remains one of Nashville’s most intelligent and witty pop craftsmen, as well as one of its major studio owners. His reassembled trio Ben Folds Five collects 15 concert performances from 2012-2013 for its just-released debut live album. This airy, lilting bit of nostalgia is the current video from the set. As always, his compelling piano work and resigned vocal tone completely capture your ears. Unlike many live albums, this one sounds extremely, extremely good.
WILD CUB/Wild Light
Writers: none listed; Producers: Dabney Morris and Wild Cub; Publishers: none listed; Big Light (track)
-Nashville’s Wild Cub played at Bonaroo and is widely regarded as an indie band to watch. Its 2012 Youth CD has yielded several highly danceable tracks, including this quirky bopper. Overall, the sound has an ‘80s, synthy “new wave” quality crossed with dense, rave-ish contemporary electro-pop. The group’s Keegan DeWitt is the singer-songwriter. But I became aware of Wild Cub because of “band mom” Kay West. Her son, Harry, is the group’s bass player. The group recently released “Blacktide” as a teaser track from its forthcoming sophomore set, so look for that online as well.
DELBERT & GLEN/Been Around a Long Time
-Writers: none listed; Producers: Gary Nicholson, Glen Clark and Delbert McClinton; Publishers: none listed; New West (track)
-Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark were musical partners way back in the early 1970s. Their reunion CD, Blind Crippled & Crazy, has an old-buddies feeling. Considering Delbert’s subsequent reign as one of our greatest blues rockers, it comes as no surprise that this lead-off track is soaked in backwoods soul.

COOPER/Tell Me To Stay
-Writers: Cooper/Norris; Producer: David Norris; Publisher: Cooperjam Works; BMI
-This new diva could be Nashville’s answer to Adele. Except she’s even more neo-soul, right down to the horns, organ and backup singers. Think classic Muscle Shoals replanted on Music Row. Think female Percy Sledge (”When a Man Loves a Woman”). Cooper has been playing occasionally at the Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar in Printers Alley. Let a word to the wise be sufficient: If you see her name in the club listings, go and become a believer. Also: You gotta love a gal who introduces herself with a vinyl, 45 r.p.m. single.
DIARRHEA PLANET/Kids
Writers: Diarrhea Planet; Producer: Kevin S. McMahon; Publisher: none listed; SESAC; Infinity Cat (track)
-These durable Music City thrashers recently took a big leap forward with a write-up in Rolling Stone. Mind you, this isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but there’s something endearing about their punky, snotty, good-humored attitude. This track isn’t as frantic as most of the rest of the LP I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. But due to the multiple-guitar attack, it’s still plenty messy and loud enough.

There are just not a whole lot of truly interesting sounds in country music these days. I recently took a long road trip, listening to radio stations all the way. And I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times a record excited me enough to make me turn up the volume. I have long suspected that the people in Nashville who make country records don’t even listen to their own creations. Now I’m just about certain of it.
That said, there are some bright highlights in this week’s stack of platters. Jimmy Buffett & Toby Keith, The Band Perry and Randy Travis all have excellent new music. So does the Zac Brown Band, which takes home the Disc of the Day award.
The newcomers today are Cole Swindell, Angie Johnson, Maggie Sajak and our DisCovery Award winners, American Young.
LUKE BRYAN/That’s My Kind of Night
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Dallas Davidson/Chris DeStefano; Producer: Jeff Stevens; Publishers: Songs of Southside Independent/Out of the Taperoom/External Combustion/EMI Blackwood/Two Chord Georgia/EMI April/Sugar Glider, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol Nashville
-Typical contemporary “country,” which is to say banjo slapped on top of a rock-music track with lyrics about partying and a vague hip-hop vibe.
RANDY TRAVIS/Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum
Writers: Keith Gattis; Producer: Kyle Lehning; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree/Pioneer Town/BMI; Warner Bros.
-Randy is facing a long recovery right now. While we await his comeback, here is an excellent tribute to the late, great George Jones to warm our country hearts. Needless to say, it is country to the core.
JIMMY BUFFETT & TOBY KEITH/Too Drunk To Karaoke
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: International Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Scamporee/Hammer Arm/Coral Reefer/All About the Music, BMI; Mailboat
-He signs up to sing in the bar, but by the time they call his name, he’s blotto. These two sound like they’re having a ball with this hilarious, super bouncy, sing-along ditty. A single with a built-in smile. Essential.
ANGIE JOHNSON/Swagger
Writers: Angie Johnson/Josh Leo/Phoenix Mendoza; Producer: Josh Leo; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/I Can’t Stand Your Music/Keeping Music Alive/Cool Vibe, BMI; Sony (track)
-It’s a shouted rocker with quasi-metal electric guitar and programmed electronic effects. Catchy, rhythmic and pleasing, but not exactly drawing on any country musical tradition that I am aware of.
THE BAND PERRY/Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
Writers: Sarah Buxton/Rodney Clawson/Chris Tompkins; Producer: Dann Huff; Publishers: Big Red Toe/Box Tone/Amarillo Sky/Big Loud Songs/Play Animal/Big Loud Bucks, BMI/ASCAP; Republic Nashville
-Marvelously melodic. It begins softly, then adopts a steadily rocking groove and nice vocal interplay among the three siblings. The audio dynamics ebb and crest throughout the production, which keeps you fully involved. One of this group’s finest efforts to date.

AMERICAN YOUNG/Love Is War
Writers: Billy Montana/Kyle Sackley/Jonathan Singleton; Producers: Jon Stone, Justin Niebank & Lee Brice; Publishers: Mike Curb/Dandon Ranch/BMG Platinum/Jam Writers/Sheila Be Right/BMG Gold/We Jam Writers/Glassbean, BMI/ASCAP; Curb
-This male-female duo has a distinctive folky style that features unusual vocal harmony work and spare, striking instrumental accompaniment. The song is a dandy, too. Highly inventive and very, very good.
ZAC BROWN BAND/Sweet Annie
Writers: Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette/Coy Bowles/Sonia Leigh/John Pierce; Producers: Keith Stegall & Zac Brown; Publishers: Weimerhound/Lil’ Dub/Angelika/Southern Ground/Maudlow, BMI/ASCAP; Southern Ground/Atlantic (track)
-It seems like whenever I get so bored with this format that I could scream, these guys come along to refresh my faith. This lilting ode to a wronged sweetheart is drenched with the group’s matchless vocal harmony and laced with delicious dobro notes. Heavenly.
MAGGIE SAJAK/Wild Boy
Writers: Aimee Mayo/Chris Lindsey/Caitlyn Smith/Troy Verges; Producer: Josh Leo; Publishers: Little Blue Typewriter/BPJ Administration/BMG Gold/Little Vampire/Music of Stage Three/Songs of Cornman/BMG Chrysalis/Songs of Universal/Songs From the Engine Room, ASCAP/BMI; MS
-She has a coy, sexy vocal style. The track has a nice thump. The upbeat song describes a heartbreaker boyfriend imaginatively. I like the whole audio package.
KELLIE PICKLER/Little Bit Gypsy
Writers: Kyle Jacobs/Tammy Kidd Hutton/Fred Wilhelm; Producers: Frank Liddell & Luke Wooten; Publishers: Curb/Jacobsong/Mike Curb/Float/Meaux Mercy/Capitol CMG, ASCAP/BMI; Black River
-I am such a major fan of this gal. This time around, she’s bopping along merrily as a wandering free spirit. Frothy and light and buoyant and oh-so listenable.
COLE SWINDELL/Chillin’ It
Writers: Cole Swindell/Shane Minor; Producer: Jody Stevens; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/Code Six Charles, BMI; Warner Bros.
-Same old, same old. They’re cruising on a backwoods road, listening to country radio and lolling around romantically.

The remedy for flat country sales this week is apparently to release tracks by real stars. I don’t know if it will cure the industry’s ills, but there is certainly no shortage of marquee names in this stack of platters. George Strait, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean are all here. Despite that glittering lineup, upstart Frankie Ballard snatches away the Disc of the Day award with his delightful “Helluva Life.” Fully half of the singles here are specifically summer songs, and his is by far the best.
The runners-up as the week’s best new items would be the superb “Mine Would Be You” by Blake Shelton and “Sunshine” by the Court Yard Hounds. We only have one newcomer in this column, but she’s not strong enough to win a DisCovery Award. So there isn’t one.
RONNIE DUNN/Kiss You There
Writers: Don Schlitz/Josh Kear; Producer: Ronnie Dunn & Jeff Balding; Publishers: Global Dog/House of Sea Gayle, ASCAP; Little Willie (CDX)
-It’s not as naughty as the title might suggest. He wants to kiss her wherever they are, whether it’s in Paris, Dallas, Vegas, New York, Tijuana, Atlanta or Music City. An echoey production frames this star’s intense, electrifying vocal performance of the mid-tempo steamer.
GEORGE STRAIT/I Believe
Writers: George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon; Producers: Tony Brown & George Strait; Publishers: Day Money/Hori Pro/Living for the Night/Sixteen Stars/Tenorado, ASCAP/BMI; MCA Nashville
-The gospel ballad is cushioned by ethereal strings, sighing organ and sympathetic piano work. The lyric mentions “twenty-six angels,” apparently referencing the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims in Newtown, Connecticut last December. Strait’s tender vocal is, of course, perfection.
DARIUS RUCKER/Radio
Writers: Darius Rucker/Luke Laird/Ashley Gorley; Producer: Frank Rogers; Publishers: Universal/Cadaja/Twangin and Slangin/Creative Nation/External Combustion/Out of the Taperoom/Songs of Southside Independent, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol Nashville
-Thumpy and funky. At age 17, he drove a broken-down junker, had no money and was cruising aimlessly. It didn’t matter, as long as the car’s radio was turned up loud and accompanied a good time. Lively, romping and impossible to resist.
RACHELLE LAMB/Real Men Wear Boots
Writers: Zach Richardson/Jason Plummer; Producer: Jason Plummer; Publisher: 80 Proof Poetry and Truths, BMI; 80 Proof (CDX)
-Bluesy sass. She’s kicking aside the guy with the “preppy attitude” for a fella with a “farmer tan.” Her vocal would be more effective if it didn’t sound so forced. And double-tracking it didn’t help.
FRANKIE BALLARD/Helluva Life
Writers: Rodney Clawson/Chris Tompkins/Josh Kear; Producers: Marshall Altman and Scott Hendricks; Publishers: Big Red Toe/Amarillo Sky/Big Loud Songs/Play Animal/Big Loud Bucks/Global Dog/Lunalight, BMI/ASCAP; Warner Bros.
-Completely enchanting. The ingredients are heavenly romance, a six-pack, a night sky, a tune on the radio and a swaying dance together. It is, indeed, a helluva life. A single to get lost in. This is THE song of the summer of 2013.
UNCLE KRACKER/Blue Skies
Writers: M. Shafer/Scooter Carusoe; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane/Gaje/Scrambler/Abbotts Creek, BMI/ASCAP; Sugar Hill
-I have always liked this guy’s slightly pinched, squally, boyish and earnest vocal style. He retains his young-pup appeal on this lightweight, summery bopper. Innocent and endearing.
BLAKE SHELTON/Mine Would Be You
Writers: Deric Ruttan/Connie Harrington/Jessi Alexander; Producer: Scott Hendicks; Publishers: WB/Doc and Maggie/Get a Load of This/EMI Blackwood/Watch This Girl/Great Day at This/Vistaville/Happy Tears, ASCAP/BMI; Warner Bros.
-Ultra romantic, saying the things that any young guy would like to say to his honey. In addition to being a very well written song, it’s one of Blake’s finest vocal performances in recent memory.
LONESTAR/Party All Day
Writers: Michael Britt/Richie McDonald/Frank Myers/Jerry Williams; Producer: Lonestar; Publishers: Bull Chip Ditties/NuState/Melawa/Rite Tune, BMI; 4Star
-The reunited Lonestar boys rock out on this celebration of summer play-time fun. Get up and dance.
COURT YARD HOUNDS/Sunshine
Writers: Martin Strayer/Emily Robison/Martie McGuire/Jonatha Brooke/Alex Dezen; Producers: Jim Scott, Emily Robison & Martie McGuire; Publishers: FUFF/Bingowings/MLSIV/Naughty Puppy/Warner Tamerlane/Pasa, BMI/ASCAP; Columbia (track)
-The second Court Yard Hounds album by Dixie Chick sisters Emily and Martie kicks off with this jaunty tune. The guy is such a downer that she calls him “Sunshine” and goes her own way, with her positivity intact. Bottom line: “Don’t rain on my parade.” The album is titled Amelita, and it is a sonic delight throughout. Buy it.
COLT FORD & JASON ALDEAN
Writers: C. Wiseman/R. Clawson/C. Tompkins; Producer: Dan Huff; Publishers: Big Loud Shirt/Big Loud Bucks/Big Red Toe/Amarillo Sky/Big Loud Songs/Angel River, ASCAP/BMI; Average Joes
-Synth bubbles and sound-effect wooshes and burbles plunk the good-timey track along its way. Colt drawls the rap part, and Jason sings the chorus in an electronically compressed vocal. Pleasant, if not exactly country.