This week our Weekly Playlist features 10 tracks from mostly the ‘newer stars’ of Country Music with Dan+Shay, Scotty McCreery, Lucy Hale, Jon Pardi, Sundy Best, and Lucy Hale but it also includes Dierks Bentley, David Nail, and Eli Young Band amongst the list.
1. Jon Pardi - “What I Can’t Put Down”:
This rising star took a couple of singles to break through when “Up All Night” became a hit earlier this year. The single just went Gold and could very well be followed-up by this raucous country/rocker which features Pardi doing what he does best. Written by Pardi, his co-producer Bart Butler and Brice Long, “What I Can’t Put Down” features a strong fiddle solo and a fun lyric about how Pardi’s an all-or-nothing kind of guy. The song can be found on Write You A Song. [Read Lyrics]
2. Dierks Bentley - “Say You Do”:
One of the obvious highlights from this week’s #1 album RISER, “Say You Do” is one of the six songs from the album that Dierks didn’t write. Instead it’s written by members of new band Old Dominion (Matt Ramsey & Trevor Rosen) and Shane McAnally. It’s one of the better lyrical songs we’ve heard the past couple of years and the mid-tempo melody is the kind of song that just suits Dierks Bentley to a t. [Read Lyrics]
3. Eli Young Band - “Just Add Moonlight”:
Written by Will Hoge and Jon Randall, “Just Add Moonlight” is a potential smash hit for Eli Young Band. It was one of their preview singles on iTunes and that helped get fans excited for the new album 10,000 Towns. The song is all about how the ambiance of low light can help make a woman fall in love under the glow of moonlight. The song is rhythmic in both melody and lyric and we’ll be surprised if the tune isn’t a single from this album later this year or in early 2015.
4. Cassadee Pope - “Easier To Lie”:
One of our favorite tracks from Cassadee Pope’s Frame By Frame, “Easier To Lie” is a song that has a theme as old as Country music itself: cheating. Ironically, it wasn’t written by traditionally ‘country’ songwriters as pop music Svengalis Savan Kotecha, Shellback and Max Martin wrote “Easier To Lie” (with Martin and Shellback co-producing the track with Dann Huff). The song has a nice pop-country sound to it with a lot of guilt in the lyrical story and a stellar performance from Cassadee Pope.
5. David Nail - “Burnin’ Bed”:
Written by Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Bob DiPiero, “Burnin’ Bed” is the kind of mid-tempo lyrical gem these writers have become known for. The lyrics use visual imagery and metaphors for the way passionate love has the capacity to have everything else melt around them. Highly romantic, the song is expertly performed by one of Country music’s best vocalists, David Nail. “Burnin’ Bed” is without a doubt one of the highlights from Nail’s new album I’m A Fire.
6. Lucy Hale - “You Sound Good To Me”:
The lead single from the singer turned Pretty Little Liars actress, Lucy Hale certainly has found a nice intro single from her upcoming album Road Betweenand we can tell y’all that it’s not even close to the best song on the album (but maybe the smartest radio single to introduce her to a new audience). The production from Mike Daly is strong and has a youthful feel to it without sacrificing the likeability factor for people of all ages.
7. Dan + Shay - “19 You & Me”:
Another youthful sounding band with universal appeal, Dan + Shay have broken out with this debut single from their upcoming album Where It All Began.They write all of their songs and this one - while melodically similar to a Rascal Flatts song - showcases Dan + Shay as unique talents who bridge a lot of genre gaps but remain firmly entrenched in Country music. We’ve heard songs from the upcoming record and we definitely think the duo is likely to have more where “19 You + Me” came from.
8. Jake Owen - "Beachin'":
This tune showcases the fun-loving side of Jake Owen that we've come to know through the years. While some may not like the spoken verses of the song, we have no problem with it. It helps with this summer-anthem in waiting and we have a feeling it'll continue Jake Owen's success at radio and it's a fun addition to this week's list.
9. Marshall Dane - “Alcohol Abuse”:
We’ve known of this barroom rocker for a good while now, ever since Billy Yates wrote and recorded it on one of his own albums. Marshall Dane, a talented artist from Canada, keeps the shufflin’ fiddle-laced honky tonk vibe but adds a little more bluesy vocal wail to the track which is all about getting lit and not allowing one drop to go to waste. This one is pure fun and one of the highlights on Dane’s very strong album One Of These Days.
10. Scotty McCreery - “Forget To Forget You”:
One of the fan favorites from McCreery’s sophomore album See You Tonight, this up tempo ballad features a story that is as Country as a slice of cornbread, a guy who can’t shake the past love from out of his mind. This may never be a single but it remains one of McCreery’s best vocal performances to date.
Ayumi
Scotty has grown so much as an artist. He can sing anihtyng and it is just beautiful but his voice is so tender on these Christmas tunes. So happy he is on the show again