She’s So California – Gary Allan
Cool voice and cool steel licks, but the song is disappointingly insubstantial. Gary Allan can do better.

USA Today – Lee Greenwood
If you need evidence of sloppy songwriting on Alan Jackson’s part, take note: (1) This is basically patriotic elevator muzak, yet (2) it still manages to use the hook to better effect than the Jackson song of the same title.

I’ve Got the Scars to Prove It – The Road Hammers
I have an idea. Let’s choose a bunch of tough guy words and string them together into a series of nonsensical images. Here, I’ll start: Oh and busted bones and dreams and tears tattoo my heart like souvenirs. Songwriting is so easy.

Battle with the Bottle – Sebastian Bach
The song is fairly repetitive and Bach’s vocal is overwhelmed by the production at times, but overall this is actually a surprisingly decent country debut. The way his voice cuts through the mix on words like “fight” and “can’t” is especially enjoyable.

Turn It Off – Eric Durrance
Yet another country song critical of the increasingly plugged-in lives we lead, this is actually a fairly enjoyable retread of the anti-technology theme… until it reaches the hook: “turn it off and leave it alone / so we can get it on.” And so a potentially meaningful exploration of the costs of technological living gives way to a juvenile, ill-fitting Marvin Gaye reference. Turn it off, huh? Consider it done.

Forever – John Michael Montgomery
The male speaker in this song is whipped and needy, with just one (impossible) request of his mate: “all I ask is that you be mine forever.” He wonders if she’s sincere and if she’ll stay with him, but instead of engaging her in an honest conversation about their relationship, he’s apparently content to shout his paranoia to himself in a power-pop chorus that seems to echo off the interior walls of his mind.

Somebody Needs a Hug – Keith Anderson
This is an idea song, and its only idea is in the title. Since it offers virtually no plot details, your enjoyment of it hinges on how you feel about getting a bear hug from Keith Anderson. Some ardent female fans will swoon, but I can’t imagine anyone else caring.

Here – Rascal Flatts
Choosing between different Rascal Flatts songs is sort of like deciding which of several knives you’d rather use to chop off your leg, but I will point out that the major innovation of this “Bless the Broken Road” knock-off is the elimination of all the pesky eloquence of that 2005 megahit. And also that this song’s lack of distinction is writ large in its one-word title, which has none of the personality of “Bless the Broken Road.” But it will be a huge hit anyway. There, I’m done.

Already Gone – Sugarland
The lyrics are passable, but it’s the melody that makes this work. This is probably one of the strongest songs, melodically, that country radio will lay its hands on this year. Expect them to play the hell out of it. For the record, I think I might even like the prominence of Kristian Bush’s vocal at the end. It adds an extra bit of immediacy.

Don’t Think I Can’t Love You – Jake Owen
The stop-and-go rhythm of the chorus is distinctive, but neither that nor Owen’s considerable vocal chops can save the song from the lyrical deficiences evident from the outset: “I learned the hard way real early in life / That money sure don’t grow on a tree / And there’s a few things that a dollar can’t buy / The best things in life they come free.” My, that’s some cliché collection you have there.

You Should’ve Seen Her This Morning – Zona Jones
Since I’m all about the (new-)traditionalists, I have to begin by acknowledging that I like this song more than a lot of the stuff radio plays. I can’t bring myself to love it, though, because it sounds too much like compromise: a real country singer agreeing to play by Nashville’s rules. It reminds me of Tracy Byrd at his least interesting.

What If It All Goes Right – Melissa Lawson
As Squinty Dan points out, this sounds more like an excellent demo than a bona fide radio hit, but it’s just good enough to settle comfortably into the middle of the pack. Since it probably won’t sink or soar on its own merits, its success is ultimately left up to the promotional muscle of Warner Brothers. Let’s see what they can do.

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven – Kenny Chesney
Say what you will about Kenny Chesney’s island obsession, but the man knows how to deliver a summer party song. The only thing country about “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” is Chesney’s accent, but it’s just the sort of disposable fun that the dog days of summer require.

Fishin’ Forever – Jeff Griffith
This is a seriously fun summer song that stands virtually no chance of mainstream airplay because it also happens be country-country, not pop-country or country-soul or Caribbean-country or any of those other fashionable hybrids. From the charging fiddle and steel work to the hard twang of Griffith’s voice, this is a straight-up, boot-stompin’ good time. A country summer song. What a concept!

Shinola – Dolly Parton
(I wrote this review last night and woke up to find that I’d been scooped by The 9513. Which puts me, at least, in good company.)
Dolly, you’re killing me. A song very much like this could push you up the charts again, if only it weren’t built around a phrase popular during World War II that has notably been featured in The Jerk (1979) and on The Golden Girls. (Am I the only one who had to look up Shinola on Wikipedia?) Point being, if I need to call my Grandma to have her explain the title and main idea of the song to me, maybe it’s not the smartest or most timely thing to be releasing as a single.

15 Minutes of Shame – Kristy Lee Cook
This sounds like every other debut by a pretty, young female singer. Yet, for some reason, it works. There’s a natural, girl-next-door quality to Cook’s voice that fits this mild kiss-off song to a T. The song would sound silly sung with a badass delivery ala Miranda Lambert. Cook would sound unconvincing on a song that required her to seem legitimately angry or dangerous. Here, mild song and mild singer come together for a very comfortable fit. It’s not the most exciting debut, but it doesn’t come off as strained or as pretentious as many others.

Roll With Me – (Montgomery) Gentry
The song itself doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but putting Troy on lead vocals with Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik on harmony was an inspired decision. Give Montgomery Gentry credit for trying something different, and proving that both halves of their twosome can ably take the lead. (Self-restraint… no snarky comments about Kix Brooks…)

Muddy Water – Trace Adkins
When you release a gospel song to country radio, you’re bringing the issue of sincerity right to the foreground. Committing to the song is one thing when you’re singing about kids growing up, but something else entirely when you’re trying to capture salvation in stereo. Trace sings like he always does, guitar solos rip through the sound mix, a gospel choir provides backing… and somehow, it all ends up seeming fine as a radio song but utterly anemic as a statement of faith.

Flip Flops – Billy Craig
Raffi wrote this island song for Kenny Chesney. Kenny passed on it, so Billy Craig got it. Actually, that’s not true. Billy Craig apparently wrote it himself. Very strange, but a daring release in its own way.

You’re Not My Judge – Kate and Kacey Coppola
You know, I’ve always said that if Naomi Judd were so unjustifiably mean to me on national television that all of America was on my side, I would be sure to make my first radio single an infantile rant against her that effectively obliterated all the public’s sympathy for me.

Somebody Said a Prayer – Billy Ray Cyrus
This reminds me of Tim McGraw in his uplifting, anthemic “Live Like You Were Dying” mode. As it turns out, the link between the two songs is songwriter Craig Wiseman. Billy Ray gives a commendable performance, so why am I so bored? Blame a song structure and generic inspirational message that both reek of Nashville formula.

Bartender Song (Sittin’ at a Bar) – Rehab
Because country needs another Kid Rock? I don’t get it.

I Would – Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar, a fine pop songwriter, gets about as close to country as he ever has on this release. The lyrics are mostly forgettable, but it just might ride up the charts on its pleasant, rolling tempo anyway.

Just a Dream – Carrie Underwood
I wish I could debate the lyrical intricacies of the song with you, but I just couldn’t get past the R&B beat, general overproduction, and nagging sense that there’s nothing country about this performance. I wasn’t interested enough to listen closely.

Hey, Mr. Oil Man – Ronnie McDowell
The world’s ready for a good song on this topic, but this isn’t it. The lyrics sound like they could have been written by anyone; they’re “universal” in the negative sense, lacking any real sense of personality. McDowell overcompensates by injecting too much personality into his vocals, giving a cartoonishly exaggerated performance that makes this sound like a campy Count-Chocula-Does-Country outtake.

Back That Thing Up – Justin Moore
A more likable version of “Bob That Head,” but not anything I would listen to on purpose. Still, give Moore credit for making a record that understands itself very well – it doesn’t try to be anything other than dumb fun. In short, Squinty Dan has it right.

Anything Goes – Randy Houser
This was my first exposure to Randy Houser, who surprised me with an impressive voice that splits the difference between Ronnie Dunn and Blake Shelton. The song doesn’t particularly distinguish itself, but it serves as a good-enough showcase for a very promising singer.

All I Ever Wanted – Chuck Wicks
This is what Rascal Flatts would sound like if the lead singer didn’t have such a hideous voice. It’s a rare case of the imitator beating the “original” (an absurd word to use in reference to Rascal Flatts). However, given so many other options in the wide world of music, why settle for anything this bland?

Sounds So Good – Ashton Shepherd
Similar to my earlier comments about Lady Antebellum, I think Ashton is good but don’t quite understand the level of hype surrounding her. Sure, that heartfelt songwriting and Alabama drawl would be a welcome reprieve from much of what’s on the radio these days, but there’s still something jarring to me about hearing a hard country voice enveloped in such a commercial style of production. This song sounds okay, but would sound so better in a pared-down acoustic version.

This single might do well at radio. Or it might not. It’s that sort of song, neither an obvious winner nor an obvious loser compared to anything else that’s currently getting played. Certainly, the fault is not in Chris Young’s delivery. His performance here confirms what we already learned about him on Nashville Star – he can definitely sing.

It’s a shame, then, when he’s saddled with material like “Voices,” a song as nondescript as its title. You see, the great statement of this song is that how we’re raised influences who we become. The singer is guided through life by “voices” from his past. That’s it. A simple message, to be sure, but that alone does not doom the song. There are creative and meaningful ways of conveying simple truths. It can be done.

A good way not to do it is to have Dad say don’t be a quitter, Grandpa say don’t drink too much, Mama say pray a lot, and Grandma say treat her right. And then leave it at that. The song sinks under the weight of its simple platitudes because it never does anything with them.

It’s a bad sign when the entirety of a song’s character development is based on which of 4 different cliched sayings each character utters. Plot development? Also non-existent. No characters are revealed, no actual emotions conveyed, and nothing happens.

Still, radio plays a bunch of nonsense. Will they play this?

Probably not. If RCA couldn’t make a hit of “Drinkin’ Me Lonely” – a far better song/performance – I don’t see them being able to do much with this one, either. Add the fact that Chris Young sounds very much like another new guy who is getting played – Jason Michael Carroll – and his chances are even worse. Which is a shame, because he sure can sing.

Rating (out of 4): ♦

I hate this trend. For my money, the worst is “Johnny Cash,” a song which I’ve had the misfortune of hearing in two different versions – the Jason Aldean single and the earlier Tracy Byrd album cut.

“Johnny and June” scared me right up until the moment I listened to it. Thankfully, the former Trick Pony frontwoman’s debut single digs deeper than any of its immediate predecessors.

It does not just name-check the Cashes in passing; it takes their story and elevates it to the status of a country Romeo and Juliet. It succeeds precisely because that’s just where Johnny and June belong. Through all the Cash-mania of the past few years, they have become our modern version of the all-consuming romance. Don’t we all “want to love like Johnny and June,” even if our only concept of what that means comes from a critically-acclaimed (if formulaic) musical biopic?

Shelby Lynne covered similar thematic ground back in 2005 with “Johnny Met June” (from Suit Yourself). That song was a quiet, elegant eulogy written on the occasion of Johnny’s passing.

Newfield takes a different tack, belting out “Johnny and June” with all the passion and energy called for by the lyric. It doesn’t hurt that she also happens to possess one of the genre’s strongest female voices, with all the power and grit necessary to give “Johnny and June” their due.

Rating (out of 4): ♦ ♦ ♦