Morgan Wade-“Stay”: I first came to know of Morgan Wade last year. A friend posted about her, so I gave her a listen and instantly was a fan. My first thought was she has the voice of an angel if that angel was born in the south. A few years ago I said that Kacey Musgraves was the one that was going to put women back on the map, as far as country music goes. Well, I was right, except she is going more poppy with every release. Well if you miss the days of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, and Dolly Parton, then Morgan has you covered. “Stay” showcases what she is capable of, and let me tell you—the world is ready for what she is bringing. Sometimes all you need is just a guitar and yourself. As simple as this song is, it’s just as powerful. While you may get lost in her voice, make sure you listen to the words. The men have ruled for long enough. And Morgan Wade is about to lead the charge

Better Anyway-“Don’t Make a Sound”: Man, do I love a good cover. And this is just that. Also the fact it’s an artist that the band looks up to makes the single so much better. Transit is a band that Better Anyway singer Nick Burkhard is a huge fan of, and it 100% shows here in this cover. I also appreciate that they still were able to make it their own. They slowed it down just a little, and it works. And the addition of Scooter Smith of Cincinnati band Big Smile on vocals brings another dynamic to this already great song. When all this mess is over, this is one band I look forward to seeing live, but then again I always look forward to seeing them live. But now they have this song in their arsenal. I am stoked.

Homesafe-“Down”: This is a band that is hit or miss with me. Right now it’s hit. “Down” is the second song of a recent two-song EP, and it’s one of the best songs they have released in a few years. One aspect that I have always enjoyed about Homesafe is the vocals, and they are on display here—just so calm and precise. What a deadly combo. And the lyrics are those that we can all relate to. We all have been there at some point in our lives. It’s those moments that make music so much better. If this is the direction they are headed, wow. This is good. I can get behind this.

Broadside-“Foolish Believer”: It took me a few listens to come around to this song. Broadside is one of my favorite bands of the last five years. I wanted to like it at first, just because it was them, but it was not happening. Finally one night it came on randomly, and I caught myself bobbing my head and was like, ok, I can dig this. As with most Broadside songs, the vocals of Ollie are front and center. He does not hold back here. I would even say he has upped his game, which I didn’t think was possible. Towards the middle, it even has a sweet little groove. So good. You’ll know it when you hear it. That’s when you the reader will move a little. Trust me!!!!! As always with Broadside, the lyrics hit home. Ollie is one of those songwriters that always make me feel like he is singing about me or to me or for me. He is one of the best songwriters around today, and this song is further proof of that.