This week’s batch of new country tunes features Dierks Bentley’s take on a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic, plus Bailey Zimmerman’s nostalgic new ballad, Jordan Davis’ thoughtful new track and stellar, pop-fueled work from Camille Parker and Tenille Arts.
Bailey Zimmerman, “Holy Smokes”
This moody, reminiscing ballad mixes romance and religious overtones, depicting nights of rebellion and young love in a church parking lot. Zimmerman excels at these kind of lost-love vignettes, as evidenced by “Rock and a Hard Place” and some of Zimmerman’s other hits. Between stately piano, driving percussion and a cathartic, country-rock chorus, it’s clear that this short-lived romance had a lasting impact. Zimmerman co-wrote the track with frequent collaborator Austin Shawn, as well as Ben Stennis, Michael Tyler and Lauren Hungate.
Dierks Bentley, “American Girl”
Following his previous album Gravel and Gold, Bentley takes on this classic rock track from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1976 debut album. Spright Banjo, mandolin and guitar fusions lead this jaunty number, which melds perfectly with Bentley’s own grainy, rock-leaning vocal. The song is included on the upcoming album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, which will be released via Big Machine and the Tom Petty Estate.
Camille Parker, “Spinning Thoughts”
Parker, a member of this year’s CMT Next Women of Country class, also recently made her debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry and was a contestant on the musical competition My Kind of Country. Here, she issues a superb, dancefloor-ready, pop-leaning track, one that makes the most of her delicate-yet-earthy vocals. This new song finds Parker offering an uplifting, musical respite for those who need a self-care moment away from the stressors that come with the daily grind.
Jordan Davis, “Good News Sold”
Davis has notched a slew of previous hits with warmly-produced songs rooted in slightly nostalgic, commonplace-yet-momentous life milestones, such as “Next Thing You Know” and his Luke Bryan collab “Buy Dirt.” He continues in that overall vein with his latest, which muses that the world would be happier and less divided if “Good News Sold” and spread across communication avenues in the same speed that bad news seems to proliferate. Written by Jacob Davis, Cole Taylor and Jordan Rowe, this track amounts to another solid contender for radio success.
Tenille Arts, “Next Best Thing”
“You already had a queen in your California king,” she sings on this well-written song, adding “I’d wish you the best/ But you already had me.” Swiftian, swirling pop and razor-sharp wit guides Arts’ newest release, which she wrote with Ross Copperman and Emily Weisband. She draws the listener in with her charismatic vocal and keeps them with a track as danceable as it is relatable.
This story originally appeared on Billboard
