Written by Robert K. Oermann of MusicRow.com
It’s Ballad Week, with Phil Vassar, Laura Bell Bundy, Georgette Jones and Mark Wayne Glasmire all offering slower tempo offerings.
Rascal Flatts is still on hand to offer a rocker, so that’s a nice change of pace. The mid-tempo winner belongs to the Zac Brown Band. Is it just me, or does Zac sound more and more like James Taylor? The third single good enough to compete for Disc of the Day belongs to our winner, JT Hodges.
As far as this week’s newcomer prize goes, I was all set to present it to Hodges, but it turns out that he had a Show Dog platter last summer (Hunt You Down) that I was also enthusiastic about. So that leaves softly earnest Canaan Smith as our DisCovery Award winner.
JT HODGES/Goodbyes Made You Mine
Writer: JT Hodges/Ross Copperman/Jon Nite; Producer: Don Cook, Mark Wright & Ross Copperman; Publisher: Songs of Universal/Adeline 29/Sings Station/Boomer Sooie/Ross Copperman/EMI Blackwood/Jon Mark Nite/EMI April, BMI/ASCAP; Show Dog Universal
—This has a certain “presence.” He’s not only a solid writer, but his vocal performance is up-close and personal, packed with personality and exuding confidence. The deep-twang guitar and driving production are also pluses. A star is born?