First Country: Kelsea Ballerini, Tenille Townes, Bri Bagwell & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Kelsea Ballerini, “What I Have”
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Ballerini tones down the technicolor pop-country vibes for this tender acoustic rendering that catalogs the everyday joys she’s grateful for — among them green grass, a dog, a Jeep and a job she loves. Ballerini penned the song with Cary Barlowe and Alysa Vanderheym. The track is included on Ballerini’s upcoming album, Subject to Change, out Sept. 23.
Temecula Road, “By You”
A fiddle-laced intro leads into a flurry of bright, effervescent harmonies from this duo, further lifting this toe-tappin’, Cajun-inflected track.
Logan Tucker “Lookin’”
Western swing is front and center in this superb slice of barroom-ready music penned by Tucker, Kylie Frey and Stone Aielli. This Texan has previously released tracks such as “Kissed a Cowboy” and “Ain’t That The Truth,” all steeped in the traditions of artists such as Strait and Nelson.
Gabe Lee, “Rusty”
After following his impulse to leave his hometown and find new roads and new inspirations, Gabe Lee is burned out from “too many miles on these four tires and not enough gasoline” and yearns to return to his roots. Lee’s weathered voice pairs well with careening guitars and propulsive rhythm as crunchy as tires on a gravel road. A writer and singer in equal measure, Lee is readying his upcoming album, The Hometown Kid, out Oct. 28.
Bri Bagwell, “Josefina”
Bagwell has been burning up the Texas music charts for years, picking up multiple honors from the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards along the way. Throughout Bagwell’s newly-released album Corazón y Cabeza (Heart and Head), this Las Cruces, New Mexico native deftly blends country song stylings with imagery that often highlights Spanish culture. One of many stellar moments on the album, “Josefina” is a classic song of vigilante revenge, pulsating with all the drama (and moments of swirling Spanish guitar) of a classic Western film, led by her supple vocal. Fans of classic country will also want to check out album cuts like “The Dust” and “Table Manners.”
Tenille Townes, “The Last Time”
All of the “first” milestones get all the glory — first smiles, first steps, first car — but this song crystallizes those “last” moments, which are rarely recognized with such finality and sentimentality as they occur. “The thing about the last time/ Is you don’t know that it’s the last time ’til it is,” Townes sings, as the feather-light instrumental and vocal restraint enhances the song’s emotional weight. On Sept. 11, Townes will host the 2022 Canadian Country Music Association Awards alongside Blanco Brown. Townes leads this year’s nominees, with nods for honors including entertainer of the year.
