Jedd Hughes featuring Sarah Buxton, and the new Maren Morris are reviewed today.
“Stay, Don’t Be Cruel”
Jedd Hughes featuring Sarah Buxton
Written by Rodney Crowell
Jonathan Keefe: What’s always been cool about Hughes’ work is the tension between the natural sweetness of his tenor– he sings a whole lot like Michael Reynolds, former frontman of Pinmonkey, a hill I’ll forever die on– and his instincts for heartland rock & roll. The production on “Stay, Don’t Be Cruel” is slick and accessible, to be sure, but there’s a real wallop to it. It may very well be the hardest rocking track in any way attached to Rodney Crowell.
Buxton’s harmony vocals on this are just stellar, too. Again, it’s a matter of tension. What works about the structure of the harmony is how the unexpected directions reflect how both Hughes and Buxton are giving voice to two people in a negotiation that hasn’t fully worked itself out. A lifetime ago, this might’ve been a crossover Hot AC or AAA hit. In 2025, it’s just one of the best-sounding records of the year. A
Kevin John Coyne: If Crowell had recorded this himself, he’d likely have leaned harder into the song’s Rockabilly core, keeping it solidly in neo-Buddy Holly territory.
I love that Hughes and Buxton go full Bangles instead, delivering a garage pop salty and sweet combo that captures the song’s overarching sentiment, as well as its underlying deceit.
He loves you, baby, as long as she’s not calling. A
“Carry Me Through”
Maren Morris
Written by Greg Kurstin and Maren Morris
KJC: Few things hit my sweet spot as well as the “Gospel Revival as Personal Resilience” metaphor, done so well on everything from “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” to “Like a Prayer.”
“Carry Me Through” doesn’t reach those lofty heights – few records ever have – but this is at least as high as “The Tree” in her growingly impressive pantheon. I enjoy her songwriting so much because she has such a strong sense of agency, and with it a real sense of accountability.
The trappings of God are here in the choir and the church organ, but she’s putting her faith in herself. She knows she’s the answer to her own prayer, a faith revival that I’d sure love to see break out everywhere. A
JK: This also sounds like a Hot AC or a AAA hit, and now I’m just the whole way in the weeds with what an unmitigated disaster modern radio is. I’m also in the weeds with the fact that the country genre was all too eager to exile someone who can sing like Morris– the way she has been cutting loose on her vocal performances since “The Tree” is just a wonder– just for having the audacity to stand up for trans kids against someone who has nothing to contribute to the culture beyond a dead-eyed stare and Own The Libz Because Merica merch manufactured overseas.
But I digress.
There’s a soulfulness and heft to Morris performance here that really elevates the song when it intermittently lapses into self-help platitudes. She generally does this kind of affirmation well, and “Carry Me Through” is a solid composition. If it feels a little safe, that’s perhaps to be expected as she tests the waters for long-term crossover success.
Will that happen for her? Who knows. Again, radio is such a mess that Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” only got moved to recurrent status at AC formats within the last two months, after spending a full two years on that chart. It’s a foregone conclusion that country radio won’t play this– and, admittedly, it doesn’t scan as country in any way that really resonates with me– but I’m not sure if other formats would, either. Which is a shame, since it’s a single that captures a lot of what makes Morris such a compelling talent. A-
…o…m…g! (couldn’t resist) what a performance by ms. morris. more than five repeats in a couple of days, guess i kinda dig it (couldn’t resist again). and doesn’t she look like aaawesome in that clip? the camera just loooved her face (again…).
there was a time, when jedd hughes – and ms. buxton – would have stood a chance to get into country radio, and the charts, with an outlier like that. love it, and it finally offers an answer to billy swan’s, or elivs’, plead. the cruel one obviously came over but didn’t stay quite long enough it seems. good one.