Critic’s Pick

There's a garage rock feel to Hunter Hayes' "Yesterday Song" that immediately makes you look up from whatever you're trying to focus on. The 25-year-old's new song relies on razor-sharp guitar work and a hook that would be illegal if it were a narcotic.

Kalie Shorr's ability to spin a serious message into a pop melody more contagious than the common cold turns up again on "He's Not That Into You," a sugary new song from an upcoming project.

Aubrie Sellers' brand of country music may scare you. "Sit Here and Cry" borrows from women named Loretta (Lynn) and men named Muddy (Waters).

David Nail is about to enjoy his biggest hit. "Good at Tonight" maintains a commitment to satisfying, poetic lyrics while becoming something his previous singles have not been.

Jake Owen's "If He Ain't Gonna Love You" is his not-so-secret weapon on the American Love album. The funky, R&B inspired collaboration with Chris Stapleton is the song you keep coming back to, again and again ...

By modern standards, George Strait doesn't get real rowdy. Even his new single "Goin Goin Gone" feels a decibel quieter than many contemporaries, which is to say it feels just about perfect.

Margo Price's "Four Years of Chances" mixes blues, soul and scorn into an undeniable country story of redemption that's best described as honest. So convincing are Price's vocals that one listens on edge, as if she knows your secrets.

If Drake White's Spark album could walk and talk it'd be the most popular kid in school. Twelve feel-good tracks make up the Alabama-raised singer's debut. There's room for smiles and hurt, depth and frivolity. You'll laugh, love and feel better about yourself after an hour spent.

Keith Urban’s "Blue Ain’t Your Color" features some of the smartest lyrics of the singer’s career. It’s poetry set to a soulful country swing, delivered with Urban’s most yearning accent.

It’s the little surprises that make the Cadillac Three’s Bury Me in My Boots album special. Songs like “Slide” and “Hot Damn” are new but expected. Both come raw and without apology. These are the songs that make this trio a much more popular live act than radio act. It’s why the their fans are more loyal than Yankee fans.