Gwen Sebastian has grown as an artist since she was a part of Team Blake on 'The Voice' in 2012. Her new single 'Suitcase' shows new confidence and vocal power, without sacrificing her unique punctuation and delivery. Her pain is palpable.
The song 'Rewind' is a good measuring stick for Rascal Flatts' new album of the same name as it truly does -- as Jay DeMarcus said -- tie the old to the new. It's the mean of 13 songs that range from syrupy and organic to razor sharp and vengeful.
Ash Bowers is the perfect voice for his new single 'Shake It Off.' The Tennessee native sings with true grit. His working class upbringing comes through on this song about "shaking off" troubles holding you down.
Hunter Hayes' duet with Jason Mraz is his fifth single release from his self-titled debut album and its repackaging. But 'Everybody's Got Somebody But Me' still manages to show something new to those who haven't bought it. It's a change of pace from the heavy ballads and the more intense country-rocker 'I Want Crazy.' This is the most fun he's been since 'Storm Warning.'
The most important thing a new artist can do is quickly distinguish themselves, and Brothers Osborne do that on their debut single 'Let's Go There.' While not a great lyric, their vocal sound and the bluesy arrangement make this a track to keep coming back to.
'Don't Let Me Be Lonely,' the third single from the Band Perry's 'Pioneer' album, is thematically similar to their biggest hit, but few will confuse this song with 'If I Die Young.' The latest track may not be as instantly catchy, but it's every bit the sharp songwriting effort the cut from the trio's debut album was.
The Zac Brown Band's new single 'Sweet Annie' is another vocal and lyrical showcase for the singer. The collaborative spirit that defined them early on is missing, making the ensemble sound more like Zac Brown's band instead of the Zac Brown Band.
'I Can't Change the World' is Brad Paisley's anthemic ballad from his 'Wheelhouse' album. As a vocalist, he rarely soars like he does on this sonically complex, but lyrically simple love song. His performance as a singer and guitarist actually overshadows the strength of the song.