Good efforts from Olivia Wolf and Shaboozey today.
“Cosmic Appalachian Radio”
Olivia Wolf
Written by Sean McConnell and Olivia Wolf
JK: Sometimes, it’s the little things that make all the difference: Here, it’s how Wolf elongates all of her vowels except for when she’s making a point of pronouncing “Appalachian” like someone who’s actually been here.
That’s not the only example of how Wolf’s done her homework. What I love about this single– and about her debut album, which I reviewed a couple of weeks back– is how she doesn’t feel beholden to deploying her deep influences in any particular way. The title might suggest a cross between cosmic country and bluegrass, but that’s not what “Cosmic Appalachian Radio” actually sounds like. There’s a fiddle in the mix, yes, but Wolf leans hard into a modern rock aesthetic. I hear some of my favorite under-the-radar acts in this single: Abra Moore, The Raveonettes, Patrick Wolf, and especially Nicole Atkins.
The brooding Americana – Chamber Pop hybrid of Atkins’ “Vultures” is all over this, and if that’s what Wolf’s radio sounds like, she’s been taking cues from some truly phenomenal talent. A
KJC: My favorite thing about this record is the very busy production, which borrows from Southern and alternative rock traditions. In recent years, rock, pop, and hip-hop artists from the south have been leaning into rural imagery in their songs, and it helps counteract the false narrative that traditional country artists are the only ones who have ownership over the southern way of life.
Lyrically, this is familiar territory that doesn’t live up to the very cool title and creative musicianship. But there’s a lot of potential here that I’m looking forward to seeing develop. B
“Good News”
Shaboozey
Written by Sean Cook, Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Romans, Nevin Sastry, Shaboozey, and Jake Torrey
KJC: I love the bait and switch here, with the song’s opening moments sounding like a sequel to “Tipsy.”
That makes the pivot to a deep and reflective lyric song with raw emotion, all the more impactful. Shaboozey is quickly emerging as a singer – songwriter to be reckoned with, and his distinctive signature sound helps further distinguish him from his peers.
For anyone still debating his place in the country music scene, imagine George Jones tackling these lyrics during his Musicor peak:
Head in the bottle, but my heart in the cage
Yeah, it’s gettin’ harder to act my age
Play a sad song on a tiny violin
For the man at the bar confessin’ his sins
I need some good news
Sittin’ here, sippin’ on cold truth
Nobody knows what I’m goin’ through
Bet the devil wouldn’t walk in my shoes
The only misstep here for me is the steel guitar going AWOL during the chorus. I wouldn’t remove a single element from the chorus, but I would definitely add an additional twang to really drive the message home that this is some damn good country music. B+
JK: This is a single that, by all rights, sounds like it should be a smash hit. But I’m skeptical of its actual prospects. The narrative that Shaboozey was going to be a one-hit wonder had already congealed while “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was still gaining spins at country radio. Then, lo and behold, his follow-up single, “Highway,” was able to spend a scant 8 weeks on the chart, managing a #49 peak.
“Good News” complicated the situation for its predecessor, in that it isn’t a track from Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going and was a surprise drop just a couple of weeks into “Highway”’s release cycle. It’s had very strong streaming numbers since its release, too, so there’s reason to believe a pivot to “Good News” was the better strategy in terms of getting Shaboozey a proper follow-up hit.
I’m just not convinced the current climate at country radio is going to make that happen.
Still, I hope I’m wrong, because this is another testament to Shaboozey’s real facility with country music conventions. There’s a lot on “Good News” that feels familiar– perhaps some lines that are too familiar and lapse into cliché– but it’s elevated by Shaboozey’s approach to genre and his ingratiating performance. The flourishes of fiddle and pedal steel on this are perfectly executed, and his laid-back delivery brings a bit of optimism to the blues he’s singing. On “Good News,” Shaboozey sounds like he genuinely believes his fortunes will turn, and there’s a place for this kind of optimism in 2025. Let’s see if the country industry meets the moment. A-
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