After our Worst-Of lists yesterday, let's take a look at what dominated our year musically with our Best-Of list! Here's to another year of great music in 2018!

#18
​Luke Combs, "When It Rains It Pours"

One listen to the second single from Sony Music Nashville artist Luke Combs and you’re immediately transported back to early 2000’s country radio; its sound and subject reminds me of country radio from 15 years ago, especially Blake Shelton’s “Playboys Of The Southwestern World,” which hit the top 30 in 2003…only Luke’s was a huge #1 single in 2017.

“When It Rains It Pours” is a descriptive story about a narrator that hits a massive streak of good luck after his girl leaves him. The song’s series of events reads more the stuff of fantasy but songs that can transport the listener to another world, are a winner in my book. Country music has its share of making the most out of a breakup. Combs’ hit single proves a funny song can also crack our best -f lists. - CB
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#16
​John Mayer, "In The Blood"

​John Mayer gave us one of the biggest surprises of the year, delivering a top-flight country single to radio. While not a success commercially, "In the Blood" is an exceptional display of depth, emotion, and authenticity, depicting familial bonds in relation to personal profile. Backed by a largely acoustic production and a stellar vocal, Mayer absolutely knocked this one out of the park. - Markus Meyer

#15
Brett Young, "In Case You Didn't Know"

We all know the saying, “where words fail, music speaks,” but there aren’t many songs as good at letting a person let their significant other know how they really feel, than Brett Young’s mega-hit “In Case You Didn’t Know.”
“Baby I know that you've been wondering, mmm, so here goes nothing, in case you didn't know, baby I'm crazy bout you, and I would be lying if I said, that I could live this life without you, even though I don't tell you all the time, you had my heart a long, long time ago, in case you didn't know”.

The song’s production and instrumentation don’t overdo it, which is appropriate for this track. I know it says exactly how I feel about my girlfriend and I’m sure millions of others felt the same. His debut album isn’t perfection, but this song’s message is. - CB
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#14
Trace Adkins, "Watered Down"

If you were to look in a dictionary and look up "hit and miss", I'm pretty sure you'd see a picture of Trace Adkins. While he has released a lot of questionable singles in his time, songs like "Watered Down" also show that Trace has recorded some of the best the genre has to offer. The production is crisp and warm, inviting you in with the tasteful instrumentation. Moreover, it’s refreshing to hear someone looking forward to the days ahead rather than try and capture their youth. That's not even the only time we'll see that on this list! Regardless, Trace was on point with this track, and it deserves to be praised. - ZK

#13
​Midland, "Make A Little"

Midland make’s our list again with the sophomore single from their debut album, On The Rocks.
This catchy tune reminds those who remember, the days of 80’s and 90’s Country radio; perhaps something Dwight Yoakam would record back in his prime.
“Make a Little” doesn’t come close to reinventing the wheel from a lyrical standpoint but it’s subtle charm in those lyrics and throwback sound, which doesn’t rely on drum loops or a throbbing backbeat, makes the listener realize there is a place on mainstream country radio for actual country music. Get up and two-step! - CB
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#12
Carly Pearce, "Every Little Thing"

​​Carly Pearce broke onto the scene this year with what is an exceptional single in "Every Little Thing". Atmospheric and raw, the record thrives in exuding emotion. Pearce demonstrates strong vocal and evocative talent, making for a thoroughly enjoyable record from an act to keep an eye on. - MM

#10
​Brad Paisley, "Last Time For Everything"

What sucks about this year's list is that a lot of these songs signal the beginning of the end for some artists, and unfortunately when it comes to his chart success, Brad Paisley is in that club. Simply put, this deserved far better than its paltry top twenty peak. The song is also one of his best singles in quite some time. It tackles the feeling of life never slowing down from a unique perspective with a great hook, and considering Brad’s own career, a lot of the references made here (such as the Prince one) feel earned. Radio might not appreciate you anymore, Brad. However, if you keep putting out quality stuff such as this, I'm sure the fans will reward you. - ZK

#9
Montgomery Gentry, "Better Me"

​​Enhanced by the tragedy surrounding Troy Gentry earlier in 2017, "Better Me" is absolutely one of the duo's strongest efforts in some time. A lesson is self-reflection and improvement, "Better Me" is a record that exudes hope. Backed by a restrained country-rock production, it's well worth your time to give this one a listen. - MM

#8
Lee Brice, "Boy"

Lee Brice could have easily played his comeback as safe. After all, his last two singles didn't connect nearly as much as past hits. However, Lee Brice returned in a big way this summer when he released "Boy". Sure, the theme is simple and has been done numerous times in Country music. However, it’s not so much reassuring his boy through false promises that everything’s going to be magically alright everyday. It’s about reassuring him that there are natural phases of life that he’ll experience as well as be able to watch when he has his own boy. The song even gives enough of a clue to insinuate that the learning process doesn’t end at parenting. Welcome back, Lee. It's good to have you. - ZK

#7
Chris Stapleton, "Broken Halos"

Chris Stapleton takes a lyric of depth and emotion, and makes it truly exceptional with his powerhouse vocal. Wrapping a song about remembering those that have passed with a passionate vocal and an acoustic production, "Broken Halos" is an absolutely outstanding record. - MM​

#6
​Luke Bryan, "Fast"

​​What Luke Bryan gave us with "Fast" is one of his finest moments. It's a reflective record that tells us to live life to the fullest, because it can fly by. Bryan puts in a top-notch vocal performance, and is enhanced by a melancholic, restrained production. This is the stuff Bryan should be producing with his platform as an A-list mainstream act. - MM

#5
Miranda Lambert, "Tin Man"

​"Tin Man" finds Miranda Lambert at her absolute best. Vulnerable, intelligent, and impassioned, it's a record that encompasses country music's best traits. As good as her rocking up-tempos can be, Lambert is an artist that's at her best when subdued, and nowhere is that better showcased than here on one of the year's finest moments. - MM

#4
Alan Jackson, "The Older I Get"

As artists grow older, we don't expect as much out of them. After all, they already gave us their best during their prime. More often than not though, artists will sometimes release quality singles that match up with their best long after the spotlight is gone. Alan Jackson hasn't had a number one hit in nearly a decade (wow does that hurt to say), but as he sings about in "The Older I Get", he's not bitter about his days ahead. He's looking forward to them in a way that puts a different spin on the whole "growing older" theme in country music. Alan Jackson is the artist we don't deserve, and yet our lives are instantly made better by his music. - ZK

#2
​Thomas Rhett, "Marry Me"

​Despite a reputation as a run-of-the-mill bro, Rhett demonstrated true growth with his 2017 album Life Changes, and with "Marry Me", we have the finest track off said album. A devastating song with a clever twist, revealing that the narrator failed to act on his love for the woman in question. With a crisp pop-country production backing it up, and evocative performance from Rhett, we get what was my favorite single of the year, and the best of his career to-date. - MM

Hot damn, the Brothers Osborne are on a roll. I'm not even solely referring to their chart success either. Hell, by all accounts, that's the smallest thing to be proud of when you're also now the reigning Duo Of The Year at the award shows. Granted, I also think the biggest accomplishment for Brothers Osborne has been their steady rise in quality since the beginning. Honestly. I respected what these guys were doing when they had singles like "Rum" and "Let's Go There", but I wasn't completely on board. Even their debut album for as good as it actually was felt a tad scattershot at points. 

And then "It Ain't My Fault" happened. Suddenly the Eric Church comparisons made so much more sense, and now, it seems like the Brothers Osborne have finally "sharpened their sword" so to say, because their new single, "Shoot Me Straight" is a pure joy to listen to. 

The song begins with bluesy electric guitar (so again, hello Eric Church comparisons!), and between that and the thumping beat that crops up after a few seconds, it feels like some modern outlaw era track. In other words, it's vastly different from everything currently at country radio in a good way. Then we get to that chorus, and from then on the song just explodes into Southern-Rock goodness. In an era too where so many solos feel under-wrought, Brothers Osborne, double and then triple down to delivery fiery solo after fiery solo. Seriously, the song is literally about two minutes of singing and four more minutes of just straight up guitar play that gets groove heavy and later on really embraces those blues elements. The whole damn thing is an adrenaline rush really. Hell, even the eventual radio edit of this song won't be robbed of an awesome solo!

Much like "It Ain't My Fault", the lyrics of "Shoot Me Straight" can seem non-essential and even clumsy on the first spin or two (although in this particular song, they could be singing about puppies on Mars and it would be still be awesome). However, much also like "It Ain't My Fault", I'd argue that there's a lot of subtext as well. The first verse is made to suggest that this is just centered around two lovers who are bad for each other and yet somehow need each other anyway. Again, not a bad theme, but not terribly original either. However, the second verse talks about vices the narrator in question uses to blow off smoke including hanging with friends and resorting to drinking, and considering there's a line here that states "there's plenty of time for alcohol from happy hour to last call, so do what you gotta do so I can get to getting over you", and you realize he just may be talking about the alcohol itself when he means "shoot me straight", not a friends with benefits situation. In other words, drinking to get over a possible heartache, yes, but also one that cleverly uses a twist to get there. Admittedly I should be more critical of the fact that they're going for the whole "drinking to forget" theme, however, there are some points to counter that. 

One, it's obvious that the narrator is down on his luck (to understate it), so it's understandable that he's drinking to forget in the comfort of his own home. Like the narrator on "It Ain't My Fault", it's obvious that the narrator is a stubborn one, but it's also heavily implied that he's willing to take full responsibilities for his actions in the morning. Two, the escapism theme makes sense since it sort of sets the groundwork for why we even have a nearly four minute solo at all. It may be an utter joy to listen to, but really it symbolizes things just sort of coming undone, and again, there's so much more to this song than what meets the eye. 

But really, even if you come strictly for the solos, it's still an awesome song regardless. It just also happens to be smart lyrically as well. Overall, if the Brothers Osborne are looking to stretch their Southern-Rock muscle on their new album, I'm all for it, because they're damn good at it. Again, the escapism theme may be a lazy one to use, but when it's backed up with the correct groove and atmosphere, I couldn't care less. This kicks ass. 

Grade: A-
Listen: "Shoot Me Straight"

Author: Zackary Kephart

​I’ll be the first to admit that the debut album, Pawn Shop from the Brothers Osborne wasn’t quite the knockout that I had hoped it would be. I loved “Stay A Little Longer”, and you can bet that I’m excited that it helped them break through. However, I only thought the album was good rather than great, which sort of frustrated me a little. And it wasn’t for this reason that it didn’t get reviewed here at TICM (for the record, it would have gotten 3/5 stars), it’s just that I honestly never had the time to get around and review it. That being said, I did think Pawn Shop had some damn good quality cuts, and their latest single, “21 Summer” is one of those songs.
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Thematically, “21 Summer” recalls the nostalgia of a lost summer love, and the effects that it has on the male of the relationship in question. After hearing this song, I immediately thought of similar songs by Keith Urban and Kip Moore titled, “’Til Summer Comes Around” and “Girl Of The Summer”, respectively. Both of those songs share similar framing, as they both center around a girl who seemingly disappeared from the scene once summer ended without so much as a goodbye, leaving the male narrator bitter and heartbroken. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking those songs, nor am I going to go into great detail with them (after all, this is a review of Brothers Osborne and not Kip or Keith.) However, it really seems to elevate the framing and songwriting of “21 Summer” as a whole when you put it in context. The song still focuses on a heartbroken male. However, he is able to look back at those memories with a smile on his face rather than a grudge. And maybe that’s because the relationship here not only ended amicably, but also taught the narrator a lot of lessons along the way, such as how to be a man and what love truly is. Then there’s the fact that the male directly says that he hopes his old flame managed to achieve her goals in life, and wishes her the best wherever she may be by now. There’s a strong sense of maturity present here that I can definitely appreciate.

Instrumentally, this song drifts away from the brother’s signature fusion of country, rock and blues, and instead, locks in a more country-pop sound, which works surprisingly well (I’d even argue better) for the duo. There’s a spacey atmosphere here that often times feel smoothing, and is accentuated by the warm delivery with which TJ Osborne delivers this song with. The chorus on this song is melodically strong, and heck, even the “oh’s” that echo after the choruses are done right, most likely because they serve to bolster the somewhat haunting tone of this song rather than just serving as pointless ear candy.

As the reality of winter finally starts to set in (I mean it’s only late January…..), “21 Summer” is the perfect single the Brothers Osborne could have sent to radio. There are a lot of little key elements that make this song stand out above the rest of the pack, and for that, it’s most likely going to be one of the better country singles in the mainstream this year. Certainly a fine start if you ask me.

Grade: A-
Listen: “21 Summer”

Author: ​Zackary Kephart