Cody Johnson and Carín León team up, while Cyndi Thomson levels up.
“Devil’s Hands”
Cyndi Thomson
Written by Luke Sheets and Cyndi Thomson
Jonathan Keefe: She’s released a bevy of very-good singles since quietly launching her comeback a few years ago, but Cyndi Thomson’s never released something like “Devil’s Hands.” To date, she’s been most effective in languid midtempo settings that allow her molasses-slow phrasing time to maneuver; of her brief commercial career, I always liked “I Always Liked That Best” best.
But “Devil’s Hands”? God damn, y’all. This is the love child of The Civil Wars’ “Barton Hollow” and Little Big Town’s “Little White Church” with a little mojo from Lee Ann Womack’s “The Way I’m Livin’,” and I am just obsessed with this sultry, sinful record. As for Thomson? The way her warm contralto has deepened over the years is perfect for capturing the menace of this song.
Country radio obviously won’t bite on this because of her gender and age, but “Devil’s Hands” deserves to be lighting up Americana and AAA playlists. It’s a total banger of a record, and, as much as I’ve appreciated her earlier work, I had no idea Thomson had this in her. A
Kevin John Coyne: In almost 21 years of Country Universe, I don’t think I’ve ever expressed my deep affection for Cyndi Thomson and her debut album.
I’ll get a chance to write about her debut single in the 2000s feature, but like Jonathan, I also always liked “I Always Liked That Best.” I loved her sweet tea accent and drawn out notes, like she’s moseying on down the road and will get where she’s going in time. Because she’s also a great songwriter, she was able to craft songs that were perfect for her voice.
Her more recent releases have maintained a high level of quality, and now her vocals draw on her lower register in an intoxicating way. “Devil’s Hands” is a devilishly good record crafted by a master hand. She’s never sounded better, and hearing her lean into Southern Gothic soundscapes has me pining for a full album that explores this dimension of her talent.
What a wonderful new highwater mark from a criminally underrated artist. A
“She Hurts Like Tequila”
Cody Johnson featuring Carín Leon
Written by Cody Johnson and Trent Willmon
Kevin John Coyne: “She Hurts Like Tequila” is exactly what you expect it to be lyrically, and it doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of its title.
But sonically, my goodness is it a revelation. It has such a pure country arrangement that fits Johnson perfectly, but more importantly, it reiterates what a great country singer Leon is. His fluency in the genre has the same southern border authenticity as Linda Ronstadt, and while Cody Johnson likely couldn’t meet Leon over at his home base, Leon can travel just fine.
The lyrics and Johnson’s vocal performance are both a step below the contributions of Leon’s previous country collaborator, but that’s not a ding on Johnson. His talent is more deep than broad, and he can’t move as seamlessly between genres as Kane Brown. So we don’t get the satisfaction of the country singer incorporating Latin elements into his performance on this record that we got on the Brown/Leon collaboration, but we do get a solid enough country track that makes a full Leon country album (hopefully) inevitable. B+
Jonathan Keefe: Johnson is sufficiently MAGA-adjacent that he’s had me looking askance at him for a while now, however brilliant his album Leather may have been. And he’s certainly the best singer not named Chris Stapleton who’s reliably getting airplay at country radio. So for now, I’m setting aside my cynical “Look, I have a Hispanic friend!” impulse here until given sufficient evidence not to do so.
Leon actually had one of my favorite country universe albums of 2024. He has a real facility with the genre’s conventions and a deep love for its material, and he’s a tremendous singer in his own right. So for him to get another opportunity to pair up with af current A-lister– he already dropped a fantastic 2024 single with Kane Brown– is a big deal.
And, by and large, Leon and Johnson make the most of their moment. The song itself is just all right– standard modern country fare with a done-to-death liquor simile. That they’ve cut it as a duet actually elevates the song: The interplay in their deliveries makes it sound like they’ve both experienced the tequila-like burn from the very same woman. And, appropriately enough, they both sing the absolute fire out of this.
I have no delusions that country radio will play a single with actual Spanish in it in 2025, when half of the genre’s current stars would probably try to get Leon deported, but I for one am glad he’s here. B+
Cyndi Thomson’s debut album was one of my Top 10 favorites of 2001. Both I Always Liked That Best and the excellent Kim Richey co-write I’m Gone didn’t get the love they deserved from country radio. Her phrasing always suggested a vocally sturdier Deana Carter to me.
I also really love Cyndi Thomson’s My World album. It’s one of my favorite albums from the early 2000s and one of my favorite female debut albums from that era which also includes Carolyn Dawn Johnson’s Room With A View, Georgia Middleman’s Endless Possibilities, Jamie O’Neal’s Shiver, and Jennifer Hanson’s self titled debut. It was a great time of interesting albums from contemporary female country artists, imo, and it’s too bad most all of them were no longer on the radio by the mid-late 2000s.
Cyndi’s album is a perfect example of the kind of early 2000s pop country that I miss and will take any day over the current version of mainstream pop country. I love her unique vocals and drawl, which fit the songs on the album perfectly. I’ve been very glad to see she’s back into music, and I’ll definitely check out this new song, which sounds promising by the reviews. Looking forward to “What I Meant To Say” on the 2000 feature!