LeAnn Rimes, Rodney Crowell, & More

After anonymously releasing this song last year, Rodney Crowell teams up with Emmylou Harris and Lera Lynn for an official release. The song centers on finding hope in times of frustration and despair, and keeping in community with those who can offer comfort. Harris, Lynn and Crowell trade off verses and offer up luxurious harmonies on lines that both acknowledge pain and hope for a better future, such as “We’ll taste the bitter tears till the darkness disappears/ While we’re leaning on each other ’til we can hold our own.” Together, they create a stirring song of conviction and hope.

Joe Nichols, “Fighting the Good Fight”

Joe Nichols’ latest pairs a laid-back vocal and instrumentation with vulnerable, personal lyrics about overcoming his own childhood with a parent whose “tough love was a little too rough,” and ultimately finding a way to ensure his own children grow up experiencing a relationship marked by love, kindness and gentleness. As always, Nichols’ rich country vocal shines.

Avery Anna, “Man Downstairs”

Avery Anna follows recent collabs with Sam Barber and Max McNown with her newest release, which initially feels like a moody, post-breakup ballad, but quickly surges into a rage-fueled rocker with careening electric guitar and unyielding percussion. “I hope you have fun with the man downstairs,” she sings in a voice that brings a duality of honeyed sweetness and acerbic rage, making for a release that’s both elegant and assertive.

Trey Pendley, “Like a River”

On his new Podunk EP, Pendley includes this bluesy, romantic track. Over a mesh of banjo, pedal steel and organ, Pendley turns in one of his most soulful vocals to date turning a laid-back melody into a declaration of his adoration for a lover who showed up at the perfect time. “I’ll go where you wanna take me/ Couldn’t go backwards if I tried,” he sings. Straightforward and earnest, this intimate track is nicely delivered.