Morgan Wallen, Thomas Rhett & More

Cameron Baird

This week’s new music includes the latest from country music powerhouse Morgan Wallen, while Thomas Rhett explores the country influences of the 90s and his contribution to Twisters Movie soundtrack. This week’s new country releases also include music from Avery Anna, Chase Matthew and Vincent Mason.

Morgan Wallen, “Lies, Lies, Lies”

The Sneedville, Tennessee native has quickly become one of the dominant forces in country music – and with his recent show at Hyde Park in London and a string of shows in the UK, Wallen is demonstrating his importance as a key figure in expanding country music’s global reach. He’s a consistent hitmaker, catapulting one popular track after another onto Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and catapulting two Hot 100 hits to the top (including “Last Night,” which stayed at No. 1 for 16 weeks). While many of those hits were sleek, uptempo productions, Wallen takes a little break with this moody, heartbreaking ballad, having previously performed a live version of the song for his Abbey Road Sessions Project. In “Lies Lies Lies,” Wallen unsuccessfully tries to convince himself that he is now completely separated from his ex-lover, only to collide with the deep-seated, undeniable reality in the key line, “I’m still a fool for you.” Written by Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross and Chris Tompkins, this angst-ridden ballad provides a vessel for the soulful nuances in Wallen’s Tennessee dialect.

Thomas Rhett, “Feelin’ Country”

This rollicking track — which represents Thomas Rhett’s contribution to the soundtrack Twisters: The Album — describes the early hours of an evening guaranteed to bring both partying and romance, with a few essential elements including a local beer joint, a few classic ’90s George Strait songs in the air, and a lover with, as Rhett sings, “a neon-green, dance-with-me look in her eyes.” While much of this singer-songwriter’s catalog, which includes 20 No. 1 country airplay hits on the Billboard charts, is built on a foundation of crystal-clear, pop-heavy constructions, here he reminds listeners that he can also handle a decent slice of ’90s country with aplomb.

Avery Anna, “Girl Next Door”

Singer-songwriter Anna delivers one of her strongest songs yet with this complex sketch of a young girl offering friendship to another 13-year-old moving into the neighborhood while also offering refuge to her friend as she navigates a stressful family situation. She recalls the two girls’ different lives and makes astute observations such as, “I played in the sun/ While you took care of everyone.” The fact that the composition was written by Anna alone makes the song and her honeyed yet troubled vocal delivery all the more powerful. Anna’s debut album, Separation at breakfastis out July 19th on Warner Music Nashville and seems designed to enhance Anna’s promise as a supreme, soul-baring composer.

Vincent Mason, “A Heart Like This”

Interscope/UMG Nashville/Music Soup artist Mason landed a viral hit earlier this year with the song “Hell is a Dance Floor” and subsequently released his EP I can’t just be myself. On his latest album, he lends his raspy, fiery voice to a song that describes emerging from the emotional wreckage of heartbreak and then attempting to numb the pain, only to reflect on the path forward for someone whose heart has been broken. Mason wrote this stripped-down track with Cary Barlowe and Jaxson Free, and lyrically, “Heart Like This” is both poetic and direct in its message. But Mason and co. give it a melody that leans a little more toward modern country music than some of his previous work, making the release both soulful and contemporary.

Chasing MatthewAlways mine (EP)

With the five tracks on his newly released EP, the “Love You Again” singer makes a succinct but forceful attempt to further his status as a hitmaker. The EP features the heartbreak and hip-hop blend of “Always Be Mine” as well as the rocking throwback of “First.” But chief among them is the closing song, “How You Been (Letter to the County Line Girl),” a soulful track that ratchets up the angst with the story arc of a chance encounter with a former flame. Overall, the set highlights his unique blend of country, rock and soul elements and his ability to meld them with his powerful voice.