Towards the start of the year, I completed a round-up review based around underground country music. It was quite a success, so as the year is drawing to a close, I’ve decided to complete another article in the series. Country music sometimes gets a bit of a bad rep, which isn’t really fair, considering how many amazing artists there are in the genre. If you’d like to discover more about the country movement, this review is for you!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Jeremy Parsons

Jeremy Parsons – Tickin‘

First up is Jeremy Artist, a singer-songwriter and musician based out of Texas, one of the great mainstays of the country genre. Tickin’ starts out with several guitar lines weaving in and out of each other, before Jeremy’s deep vocals arrive. It’s quite a slow song, reminding me of the original country movement of the 40s and 50s. The track is incredibly atmospheric as a whole, with the little slide guitars in the background adding a western feel. The beat finally kicks in, ramping the tension right up.

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Ashley Puckett – Tequila

Tequila has all the hallmarks of a modern country song, throwing a bit of pop-rock into the mix as well. Ashley Puckett’s vocals have a wonderful twang to them, full of emotion – suiting this country tune down to the ground. The slide guitar is rather prominent in the background, adding a great deal of character to proceedings. The verses are nice, but the chorus elevates things even higher, allowing Ashley’s voice to soar over the rest of the music. The breakdown on the bridge also adds a nice dynamic change.

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Rodeo FM – Right Wing Planet

Rodeo FM are a band that have been playing for a while, performing their own brand of whiskey-soaked country music to the masses. Right Wing Planet starts out sounding more like a folk song, due to the pretty acoustic guitars that open the song up. The rest of the instruments soon kick in though, adding more of a country twang to this amazing tune. As you might assume, the lyrics have a political slant, so it’s definitely worth paying attention to them! The violin is particularly stunning, performing differing melodies in the background of the song.

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Richard Lynch feat Katelyne Adams – My Heart and Yours

Collaborations aren’t a new thing within the country world, but Richard Lynch and Katelyne Adams bring their own unique flavour to this tune, adding something different to the genre. My Heart and Yours is quite a slow song, but the tempo allows both vocal lines to shine through on this wonderful duet. The song has quite a typical country feel, particularly with the way the guitars are used. The vocals are wonderfully emotive, displaying a wonderful amount of sentiment.

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See Your Shadow – Crazy Things Like That

Crazy Things Like That is upbeat from the very start, exuding positive vibes with the first acoustic guitar notes. The main guitar melody is really catchy, having an extremely groovy sound as it enters the track every so often. An organ can also be heard occasionally – something that isn’t often heard within country music songs. The vocals have a typical country twang, adding a jubilant quality to this positive track. It’s great to hear something so up-tempo – See Your Shadow’s song is sure to make you want to get up and start dancing!

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Keen-eyed readers will spot that we’ve featured Jennifer Alvarado before – her music is so good that I simply had to add her latest track, Catfish, to this list. As well as the country qualities, the song also has hints of Southern rock, making for a lovely overall mix. Jennifer’s sultry vocals are low on the verses, raising up and soaring on the chorus, creating a nice change in pace. The guitar licks are particularly impressive here, adding a bluesy flavour to the music. If you’ve not checked Jennifer’s music out yet, this is the perfect place to start!

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Giovany Revelle – 45

45 is the debut single from Chicago native Giovany Revelle, making the song sound even more impressive, considering how new he is to the country music scene. The track has quite an eerie feel, reminding me very much of the Eastern European folk scene, despite the obvious country notions. The guitars have a classic spaghetti western energy, with the guitar solo towards the end of the track sounding really cool. It makes for a slightly different addition to the country genre, but one that’s very much welcome!

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The Prickly Pair – Mary’s Tears

The Prickly Pair is another act we’ve featured in the past year, with Mary’s Tears being the culmination of all their musical efforts. The LA-based group have really created something fantastic on this song, adding a power-pop trait to their traditional country stylings. The dual vocals work really well here, adding a fantastic dynamic to this upbeat country-rock number. The guitar melodies are particularly impressive, performing a solo melody that underpins the entire tune.

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Jackson Wagner – Potential

Potential adds folk and Americana into the mix, as well as the more obvious county moments. The different genres blend together perfectly on this beautiful tune – the fingerpicked guitar melody that runs throughout the piece is astoundingly beautiful. Jackson Wagner’s vocals have a raw quality that suits the style of music well, oozing a sense of heartfelt emotion throughout. The stripped-down nature of the music allows the vocals and guitars to truly shine through, with the harmonica adding a haunting twist towards the end. This is one of my favourite songs on this entire list!

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Anton Commissaris – Straight on Down the Line

Anton Commissaris is another artist I’ve featured recently, so it’s good to be able to share more of his music with the world! He dabbles in a few different genres, however Straight on Down the Line is a country song through and through, although it does have elements of the blues, Americana, jazz and rock too. It’s a catchy song, seeing a set of stunning female vocals following Anton’s lead vocals in the background, adding a nice sense of harmony. The guitars are groovy, adding to the jazzy themes.

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Mark Shepherd – World On Fire

Mark Shepherd is a Cambridge-based singer-songwriter and music crafting catchy acoustic-rock songs that link well to all the acoustic genres. World On Fire does have some country qualities, although it’s more of a folk-rock tune, although it’s still well worth your while! Mark’s vocals have a raw sound, but they suit the style of song well, having a very heartfelt character. The vocals on the chorus sound immense, seeing a chorus of backing vocals harmonising with Mark’s voice.

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Romain Gutsy – If You Don’t Mind

French-born singer-songwriter Roman Gutsy has teamed up with Marc Bentel on his new release, titled If You Don’t Mind. It starts quite simply, with just a basic acoustic guitar melody following the lead vocals – however, it’s suitable for setting an atmosphere, also adding some European folk elements into the mix. The dual vocals on the chorus work astoundingly well, adding a little further variation to the piece. It’s one of the more unique songs on this list, so make sure you check it out!

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Eleri Angharad – Snake Like You

Eleri Angharad’s tuneful vocals explode almost immediately on her latest release, showing an amazing range. Snake Like You also has elements of the blues and rock music, with the groovy guitar licks adding a great deal of energy to this track. The lyrics are biting, sounding very cathartic – for both the singer and the listener. The backing ‘woos’ on the verses add an extra special something to the tune, making it get stuck in your head straight away! The production also sounds fantastic here.

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Ben Arsenault – Hold On To You

Hold On To You is a really beautiful sounding song, due to the main chord sequence that Ben Arsenault uses here. It all sounds very evocative, especially when his deep vocals join in with the music. The slide guitar and the harmonica add a certain country texture to the piece, working well with this country rocker. Ben has a very distinctive vocal style, unlike anything else I’ve heard before. The lyrics are particularly heartbreaking, so make sure you pay attention to them!

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Podge Lane – Battle Wounds

Podge Lane is an alt-country singer-songwriter based in Cork, Ireland. Battle Wounds has quite a fast tempo, opening with a cool guitar line that sounds very funky throughout. It really helps to carry the tune, as little slide guitar motifs play in the background. Podge’s vocals have a distinctive country twang, despite hailing from Ireland, suiting the style of song right down to the ground. The chorus elevates things somewhat, seeing Podge’s vocals rise higher and higher.

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Spotify – Country – York and beyond