Melanie Denard

This is quite a mixed bag.

Leeann Atherton clocks in with a dreamy blues tune. Rocker Ronnie Godfrey has a Tennessee Titans fight song. We have excellent Nashville songwriter albums from Bill Luther and Kent Blazy. And there’s a whole flurry of newcomers. Among them, Melanie Denard wins our DisCovery Award.

And to add some extra spice to the eclectic mix, we have the son of a country legend with a terrific song to sing. Dion Pride wins Disc of the Day with his fine message number “We All Gotta Live Here.”

TOM WURTH/If The Road Runs Out

Dion Pride

Writer: David Frasier/Bill Luther/Tom Wurth; Producer:
none listed; Publisher: none listed; Echelon (track) (www.tomwurth.com)
—The title tune to Wurth’s CD is a power ballad that showcases his sturdy, warm voice. He cowrote five of the album’s tunes and chose the rest from such top-drawer names as Rivers Rutherford, Brett James and Sonny LeMaire. Well worth a listen.

RONNIE GODFREY & THE ROLL ON TITAN THUNDER BAND/Roll On Titan Thunder
Writer: Martha Maria/Dan Gold; Producer: Dan Gold; Publisher: Dancing Rabbit/Golden Oak, ASCAP; Dan Gold (615-754-0299)
—Godfrey was formerly with the Marshall Tucker Band, so that explains the gruffness in the vocal. The track is a slab of rock with thunder sound effects amid the electric guitars and pounding percussion. Sample lyric: “Thunder, blood and glory/Run, but you can’t hide/The battle will be gory/And mortal men will die….Titans show no mercy/We’re here to kick some butt.” We’ll see. Next week’s opening game is versus the Super Bowl champion Steelers.

HOUSTON COUNTY/I Can’t Make It Rain
Writer: Adam Hooper/John Milldrum/Dallas Davidson/Ben Hayslip; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: Songs of Loud/EMI Blackwood/WB/Get a Load of This/Melissa’s Money, BMI/ASCAP; Stroudavarious
—Attractive, if somewhat bland sounding. He’s pleading on her doorstep, but that’s still not good enough.

DION PRIDE/We All Gotta Live Here
Writer: Bobby Fisher/Steve Leslie/Lance Miller; Producer: Dan Mitchell; Publisher: Anyone’s/Chord Boy/Lance Allan/Morris, ASCAP/BMI/SESAC; Weblast! (615-242-8181)
—Dion is Hall of Famer Charley Pride’s son. He sings with great heart and warmth, and the song has a terrific message. Count me in.

DAVID BRADLEY/Soak It Up
Writer: David Bradley/Brady Seals; Producer: Brady Seals; Publisher: Wrensong/Gypsy Outfit, BMI/ASCAP; Libolli Unlimited (www.davidbradleymusic.com)
—The timing on this seems a little off. It’s a shiny, summer-sun single, and we’re heading into football season. Whatever the case, Bradley sings with verve, and the “island” production vibe is sprightly.

MELANIE DENARD/Tumblin’ Down
Writer: Rodney Clawson/Brian White; Producer: Dan Frizsell; Publisher: Writers Extreme/Big Loud Bucks/Warner Tamerlane/BMG/Multisongs/Brentwood Benson, BMI/SESAC; Weblast! (www.weblastonline.com)
—She has a very appealing huskiness in her voice, full of barely suppressed fire. I’ll bet she can really take charge of a stage. Promising, indeed.

LEEANN ATHERTON/Looking For A Rainbow
Writer: Leeann Atherton; Producer: Rich Brotherton; Publisher: Heaven Thunder, BMI; LA (track) (www.leeannatherton.com)
—This former Nashvillian has found her niche in Austin, and it’s in a sultry, country-blues groove. This stately blues ballad is one of the many standouts on her Heart Traveled Road CD. Recommended listening.

KENT BLAZY/Play Guitar
Writer: Cory Batten/Kent Blazy; Producer: Kent Blazy; Publisher: I Want to Hold Your Songs, BMI; Kent Blazy (track) (www.kentblazy.com)
—The title tune to Kent’s latest CD is a lovely meditation wherein he gets through emotional times by playing his acoustic guitar. His singing is packed with feeling, and his picking is exceptional. This Nashville songwriting treasure has crafted hits ranging from “Headed for a Heartache” to “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Several of his most powerful can be found on this new collection, since they grew from the passing of his wife, Sharon.

BILL LUTHER/Scarecrow Dreams
Writer: Bill Luther; Producer: Justin Weaver; Publisher: Universal/Evansville, BMI; Bill Luther
—The only way you can get a copy of this Nashville songwriter’s Songs for the Scarecrow CD is if he gives one to you. Count yourself lucky if he does. This highly poetic and upliftingly melodic song is just one of its 10 lustrously produced tracks. Bill’s singing is quite soulful and expressive, and he has surrounded himself with superb players (Ilya Toshinsky, Dan Dugmore, Kenny Greenberg and Joe Chemay among them). Considering that he’s noted for such country gems as “Let it Go,” “Who You’d Be Today,” “Let’s Make Love,” “Believers” and “My Best Friend,” this whole project is impressively and ambitiously pop-oriented. But check out his duet with Hillary Lindsey on “This Town.” It has country smash written all over it.

J. LEE STEVENS/Right About Now
Writer: Steve Yocum; Producer: Curt Perkins; Publisher: Born & Bred, BMI; Tone Lucky (track) (www.jleestevens.com)
—The track is drowning in echo and reverb. The lyric is loaded with regret. The vocal is appropriately mournful. Haunting and unsettling.

We live in an era of singles and tracks, but there are still a few out there who buck the trend.

It pleases me to report that there are several folks in this week’s stack of platters who still make true ALBUMS. There is an art to this that many mainstream country artists seem to have forgotten. To them, I say listen to the collections of sounds that are being released by Chuck Cannon, John Arthur Martinez and Greg Foresman. These three know how to vary audio textures, sequence songs and create deeply satisfying listening experiences.

Greg Foresman has evidently released earlier albums, but since I
was unaware of them, he earns the DisCovery Award.

Not that there’s anything wrong with singles, mind you. In fact, you’ll find one of the finest examples of that craftsmanship here as well. That would be “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum. It is unchallenged as the Disc of the Day.

BECKY SCHLEGEL/So Embarrassing
Writer: Becky Schlegel; Producer: Becky Schlegel & Brian Fisher; Publisher: Lilly Ray, BMI; Lilly Ray/IGO (www.beckyschlegel.com)
—Her fragile-rose, soprano delivery wafts lightly from the speakers. The acoustic production and softly layered country harmonies add to the enchantment.

LOST IMMIGRANTS/Get Lost
Writer: James Dunning; Producer: James Dunning & Sean Isbell; Publisher: J. Mulligan, BMI; Lo-Fi Tofu (www.lostimmigrants.com)
—This Texas-based four-piece band drawls and twangs in all the right places. The label is aptly named, for the sound is, indeed, low fidelity. But in a pleasant kinda way.

LADY ANTEBELLUM/Need You Now
Writer: Dave Haywood/Charles Kelley/Hillary Scott/Josh Kear; Producer: Paul Worley & Lady Antebellum; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/DWHaywood/Radiobullet/Hillary Dawn Songs/Foray/Year of the Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Darth Buddah, BMI/SESAC/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville
—Utterly delicious, from the echoey production touches to the flawless harmonies in the hyper-melodic choruses. Stardom is on the march.

VERONICA BALLESTRINI/Amazing
Writer: none listed; Producer: Cliff Downs; Publisher: none listed; Timbob
—She was profiled recently in The New York Times in an article about new country females. The piece failed to mention how completely ordinary sounding she is.

GREG FORESMAN/Something I Can Use
Writer: Greg Foresman; Producer: Greg Foreseman & Howie Gano; Publisher: Communion, no performance rights listed; Greg Foresman (track) (www.gregforesman.com)
—Greg is Martina McBride’s lead guitarist. He also makes solo albums, and his newest is titled Kodiak. This slinky track burbles with nifty licks, thumping percussion and a bluesy vocal. There’s also something faintly Dylan-y about it. His other self-penned tunes are just as interesting. “Suicide Bomber” tries to get inside the head of a terrorist. “Big Sky Country” is a guitar-vocal ode to the great outdoors. “In Your Light” is chiming and uplifting.

DIAMOND RIO/God Is There
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Word/Curb/WB (track)
—A CD titled The Reason will mark this durable band’s CCM debut next month. Its single is a stately ballad about finding grace in the most unlikely places. As you might expect, it is performed with pristine perfection. Highly listenable. Also coming next month is Beautiful Mess, a book telling the remarkable story of six guys who have stuck together for all these many years.

JOHN ARTHUR MARTINEZ/Purgatory Road
Writer: Kent Finlay/John Arthur Martinez; Producer: Lew Curatolo; Publisher: none listed; Apache Ranch (track) (www.johnarthurmartinez.net)
—This former Nashville Star star drops his new album next month. Its title tune is a bluesy, downbeat look at these rough economic times. It swirls with drama that climaxes in murder. Gripping, to say the least. The production textures are superb throughout the set, from the Latin groove of “Que No Puede Ver” to the rolling country-rock of “On the Run” and the rumbling, accusatory “You Can’t Outdrink the Truth.” Heartily recommended.

LEON RUSSELL/Ballad Of Jed Clampett
Writer: Paul Horning; Producer: Leon Russell; Publisher: Carolintone, no performance rights listed; Leon Russell (track) (www.leonrussellrecords.com)
—The Best of Hank Wilson reprises many of the tunes that Leon has previously recorded in his country persona (”Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” “I’m Movin’ On,” “Oh Lonesome Me,” “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone,” “Jambalaya” etc.). Among the bonus tracks is this banjo-driven bopper that served as the theme song of The Beverly Hillbillies TV sitcom that became one of the biggest ratings bonanzas of the 1960s. Leon’s humorously drawling delivery is absolutely perfect.

CHUCK CANNON/God Shaped Hole
Writer: Allen Shamblin/Chuck Cannon; Producer: Lari White & Chuck Cannon; Publisher: Built on Rock/Wacissa River, ASCAP/BMI; Nashville Underground (track) (www.chuckcannon.com)
—Among my favorite things to collect are albums recorded by members of our songwriting community, so I was thrilled when this arrived in the mail. Chuck is not only supremely gifted as a composer, he’s a vocalist of rare charisma. The title tune to his set is a gorgeous meditation on the limits of love. You will bask in its audio beauty. Much of the rest of the CD explores spiritual matters, but there is also the political “Something’s Wrong with the World,” the anti-alcohol/faithless love saga “Poison” and the prison ode “Bad to Worse.” This is one cool record.

GENE WATSON & TRACE ADKINS/We’ve Got A Pulse
Writer: Jerry Salley/Billy Yates; Producer: Dirk Johnson; Publisher: EMI Blackwood/Pay the Bill/EMI/Foray/Sea Keeper, BMI/SESAC; Shanachie (track) (www.genewatson.com)
—Gene’s forthcoming CD A Taste of the Truth includes guests such as Alison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent. This track is this year’s “Murder on Music Row” ode to preserving traditional country music. The “heartbeat” percussion thumps are nifty, and Trace’s verse ends, appropriately, with a basso profundo “sing it, Gene.”

They didn’t win any of the big prizes, but two of our mid-level acts have some of the tastiest tunes this week.

Give an ear to the hilarious lyrics in Heartland’s “Mustache.” This thing is so wonderfully different that it could really perk up a radio station’s playlist. Also a writer’s delight is “Gypsy Boots,” the new Terri Clark single. Plus, it is sung and produced expertly.

Easton Corbin is a product of a Florida cattle farm in an area so rural that there isn’t even a fast-food burger joint in town. No wonder he sounds so marvelously countrified. “A Little More Country Than That” fits him so perfectly that it might as well be his true story. It also earns him a DisCovery Award.

The Disc of the Day belongs to a pair of unquestioned superstars. Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews are an audio delight on “I’m Alive.” It is the finale track on Kenny’s smash-packed Greatest Hits II album.

KATIE ARMIGER/Gone
Writer: Katie Armiger; Producer: Jonathan Lawson; Publisher: Lily Road, BMI; Cold River
—The track of this ballad builds nicely from an acoustic-based arrangement to big, oomphy, electrified, string-soaked choruses. The verses are cast in a key that’s too low for her, but the pay-off notes in the hook are right in the pocket.

KENNY CHESNEY & DAVE MATTHEWS/I’m Alive
Writer: Kenny Chesney/Dean Dillon/Mark Tomburino; Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP/BMI; BNA (track)
—Very pretty. Both men sing with gentle intimacy, and the acoustic track is a shimmering swirl of liquid repeating riffs.

BROTHERS FINCH/I Know Where You Are
Writer: Brothers Finch; Producer: Brothers Finch; Publisher: none listed; Brothers Finch (www.brothersfinch.com)
—These siblings are former Can You Duet contestants who are now working on their debut album. Based on this advance, my advice is to get more clarity in the mix. This is too muddy.

REBA/Consider Me Gone
Writer: Steve Diamond/Marv Green; Producer: Reba McEntire & Mark Bright; Publisher: Teri and Steve’s/EverGreen/Warner Tamerlane, ASCAP/BMI; Valory/Starstruck
—I can’t believe this is the best song this superstar is able to find. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but it is definitely another routine day at the office on Music Row.

MIKE SCHIKORA/What’s Old Is New Again
Writer: Mike Schikora; Producer: Mike Schikora; Publisher: Tuck and Go, ASCAP; Front Range (track) (www.frontrangerecords.com)
—The title tune to this fellow’s CD has rippling Latin rhythm and a crisp production. His pitch-perfect, light tenor voice has an attractive “break” in certain notes. The acoustic guitar solos are cool, too. All in all, a job very well done.

EASTON CORBIN/A Little More Country Than That
Writer: Don Poythress/Rory Lee Feek/Wynn Varble; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Publisher: none listed; Mercury
—Excellent. The song is extremely well crafted, and his performance is Strait-ahead country. After one listen, I was ready to sing along.

BRITTINI BLACK/America
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Star Tour/Slugfest (www.brittiniblack.com)
—She sings wonderfully. But when was the last time you heard a vocalist backed by only a keyboard on the radio?

TERRI CLARK/Gypsy Boots
Writer: Terri Clark/Jon Randall/Leslie Satcher; Producer: Terri Clark; Publisher: Hattitude/Tier Three/Wha Ya Say/Reynsong/Leslie Satcher/Sony ATV Tree, ASCAP/BMI; Baretrack (CDX) (615-324-2380)
—“I ain’t cut out for aprons or stayin’ home at night,” she observes. Plus, “My mama was a hippie, and my daddy was a rolling stone.” And this: “My middle name is Gone.” And this: “Don’t wanna rock no babies, but baby I’ll rock you.” Simply put, this is one of the coolest female ‘tude tunes I’ve heard in ages.

HEARTLAND/Mustache
Writer: Chris DuBois/Jimmy Melton/Neal Coty; Producer: Paul Compton; Publisher: New Sea Gayle/Songs of Universal/Write’em Rite/Bug/Murrah, ASCAP/BMI; Permian (CDX) (www.heartlandband.com)
—The “I Loved Her First” Alabamians are back, this time with a very funny bopper about a gal dating a guy who looks like a porn star, right out of 1979. Sung and performed with grand gusto.

BILL GENTRY/I Want What You Want
Writer: Ed Hill/David Frasier/Josh Kear; Producer: Garth Fundis; Publisher: Asierra/Sagrabeaux/Universal Music Careers/Cross Keys, BMI/ASCAP; Roadworthy (www.billgentrynation.com)
—It’s a frothing rocker with a galloping rhythm track and a catchy hook. The singer musters up just enough moxie to “sell” it.