Last wee's Weekly Release Report bore witness to a plethora of new music frontlined by Florida Georgia Line's Anything Goes and The Swon Brothers' self-titled album. This week may be leaner on the release report front but it's still quality from the word go as we have Kimberly Dunn's Forever On The Run, The Marshall Tucker Band's Live! Englishtown, NJ September 3, 1977, Mindy Smith's Songs For...Shelter Me and, of course, Little Big Town's Pain Killer.
Various Artists - Songs For...Shelter Me (TVX Records):
This fantastic 11 song collection features artists like Kate York, Peter Bradley Adams, Trent Dabbs, Korby Lenker, Matthew Perryman Jones, Kris Allen and Mindy Smith. Smith, who was commissioned to write and record the theme song for the new PBS series Shelter Me and was so moved by the experience that she partnered with the producers of the TV Show to create this album, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit shelter pets by helping transport the pets from overcrowded areas to areas of the country where they can be quickly adopted, among other initiatives. Strong songs from Smith ("Shelter Me" and "Who Saved Who," a duet with Matthew Peryman Jones), Allen ("Unique"), Lenker ("Pendulum") and York ("Fly Away" are the major draws to this amazing 11 track collection of songs.
Kimberly Dunn - Forever On The Run (Kim Dunn Enterprises):
The talented Texan has 16 tracks and includes the entirity of her previously released One Foot Over The Other, and she used a Kickstarter campaign to create this well-made, strongly-performed album that will remind many of Miranda Lambert's earlier albums. The title track is an early highlight on the album, as is a cover of Carolyn Dawn Johnson's "I Don't Want You To Go," "Dream Girl," "Sealed With A Kiss" and "Common As The Rain." She wrote the latter song with Drew Womack. She's a talented singer/songwriter and the production from Will Harrison, Scott Willson, Lang Freeman and Kimberly Dunn is strong and suggests the next Texas music artist who could crossover to mainstream, that is if they allow her to retain her rootsy influences.
The Marshall Tucker Band - Live! Englishtown, NJ/September 3, 1977 (Ramblin' Records)
Recorded at Raceway Park as part of an 11-hour outdoor show with New Riders of the Purple Sky and The Grateful Dead, the event was the only concert at the drag racing venue and over 150,000 fans attended the event that day. The 10 tracks performed here are exactly as the band performed them that day, raw, real and recorded via reel to reel recorders. This is not a hi-def experience but the low-fi feel to it lends an air to the vintage nature of this event and the core Marshall Tucker Band sound with iconic hits like "Take The Highway," "Heard It In A Love Song" and "Can't You See" among the band's finest moments here. Other standouts include "Fly Like An Eagle," "Searchin' For A Rainbow" and "Fire On The Mountain."
Little Big Town - Pain Killer (Capitol Records Nashville):After they broke out -- finally -- with Tornado, Little Big Town is throwing down the Guantlet with Pain Killer. Quite simply, there's not a bad track to be found on the 13 track record produced by innovative producer Jay Joyce. Recorded at his St. Charles Studios in East Nashville, Tennessee, Pain Killer features diverse songs where each of the talented Little Big Town (Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook) get their own chances to shine, though it does seem that Fairchild and Westbrook still do sing most of the 'leads' throughout the record. "Breaking Up With Me," "Good People," and "Tumble And Fall" feel like the most obvious possible singles after "Day Drinkin'" but that doesn't mean any of them aren't wholly part of this compete collection of songs. "Tumble And Fall" features the quartet's amazing harmonies (rivaled by no one else in Country music except maybe Zac Brown Band), and here's the amazing "Girl Crush" with Karen singing leads. The melodies are not necessarily what traditionalists would call country music (but what is these days). What Pain Killer has going for it is that it sounds like nothing else in Country music. Standouts not mentioned include the funky soul of "Stay All Night," "Live Forever," "Things You Don't Think About" and "Silver And Gold." This is Little Big Town as we've never heard them before and Wow, is it amazing. One of 2014's best. Hands down.Haley & Michaels - Haley & Michaels EP (H&M Music):This talented duo has been gaining airplay on the radio with "Just Another Love Song" and each of the songs on this new EP showcase another reason why the major labels aren't the only place to look for talent. "Light It" is clever, and the choice to cover the 90s indie/pop love anthem "500 Miles" was inspired. Twang & Round - Pour Another Round EP (BackRoads/Average Joes Entertainment):This duo makes the modern blend of Country and Rap and it's easy to digets rural rap if there ever was anything. Blending The Lacs, Colt Ford, Warren G, Dr Dre and others into a blender and coming out with yet another interesting collection. Standout tracks include the title track and "How I Roll." New Singles debuting this weekJames Otto - "Somewhere Tonight" (Ottopilot Records) - The return single for the CMA/ACM winning singer/songwriter.
Steve Azar - "Fly" (Ride Records) - An anthemic songs from the award-winning singer/songwriter.
Billy Currington - "Don't It" (Mercury Nashville) - The new single from Billy Currington's upcoming album.
Gloriana - "Trouble" (Emblem/Warner Music Nashville) - The trio comes back with a kiss-off anthem written from Rachel Reinart's own experiences.
Chris Godfrey
"Painkiller" is an amazing album. Funny that the song I really can just skip is the first single "Day Drinking" I think the label wanted to take some risks with the album without taking a risk with the first single. In my humble opinion, any other song from this album will be a risk in country radio. I hope radio plays it because songs 3-12 in my opinion are crazy awesome good. Track 1 falters a little in production tis the only reason I would not want it released as a single, but besides Carrie Underwood - no one else is putting out songs that actually catch my attention on the radio besides Little Big Town.
Chris Godfrey
I take that back. Sam Hunt is putting out some good music as well. Little, Carrie, and Sam saving country music - lol
minnie_swirl
Your review of Little Big Town's "Pain Killer" is on point. Absolutely agree on every point.