You won’t find much fluff on David Nail’s Fighter album. In fact, lack of levity is about all a country fan can complain about on the singer’s personal fourth studio album.
Few albums reflect an artist’s identity quite like LoCash’s The Fighters, an 11-song project heavy with love songs, underdog stories and left of center arrangements.
There’s a certain tempo that Jon Pardi works best in on California Sunrise. It’s a mellow stampede that leaves room for his personal storytelling and naturally rowdy inclinations. The best songs on the singer’s sophomore album reside there.
Great albums include great songs, and Brandy Clark’s Big Day in a Small Town is fat with them. The singer’s songwriting relationship with Shane McAnnally is among country’s most delightful pairings. They’re simply working on another level.
Cassadee Pope’s Summer EP is a short sampler of a larger project. The four songs don’t form a cohesive artistic statement as much as they speak to the overwhelming optimism that’s becoming the trademark of her sound.
Strong songwriting carries Maren Morris’ Hero album, an 11 song project that epitomizes a sub-genre of the Nashville country sound. It’s East Nashville cool, with subtle hooks and digs replacing obvious overtures.