Every week, The Boot highlights recent favorites from country, Americana and everything in between. In each list, music fans will find picks from our contributing team that we think you’ll love. Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot’s Weekly Picks.
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Andrew Combs
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Zoe Butler
“Shenandoah Blues”
Nashville singer-songwriter Zoe Butler’s “Shenandoah Blues” came to her at a difficult moment. Living in London, mourning the loss of her best friend and her boyfriend to suicide, the song was an outpouring of emotion that was never meant to be shared publicly. Fortunately, Butler was convinced otherwise: the ballad is as comforting as it is wise, with a standout performance that brings one Brandi Carlile to mind. – Rachel Cholst
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Avery Anna
“Critic”
Avery Anna is a fast-rising singer/songwriter who isn’t afraid of wearing her heart on her sleeve. Much of her releases thus far have showcased her “sad girl country-pop” brand, and “Critic” is no different. The poignant mid-tempo ballad chronicles the emotional cage Anna is trapped in by her overly critical and insecure boyfriend. “I didn’t know spending time with my best friend wasn’t okay / Is it ’cause you know right when you leave the room she’ll ask why I stayed / But I’m searching for approval from you / And it’s kind of pathetic, what I let this turn into,” Anna sings in the painfully candid verse. – Jeremy Chua
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Joel Chadd
“Enough’s Been Said”
Joel Chadd brings it all to the table on “Enough’s Been Said.” With stream-of-consciousness lyrics, it’s the song of a person reviewing all their regrets, taking responsibility for their mistakes, and resolving to forge ahead. Chadd’s performance matches the lyrics — electrifying. – Rachel Cholst
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Fantastic Cat
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Teddy and the Rough Riders
“Livin’ in the Woods”
We can’t be intense all the time — Teddy and the Roughriders know that. In “Livin’ in the Woods,” the band brings a relaxed, 70s country soul groove to their prophetic warnings of society drowning in its own sickness. The band offers a prescription, of course, that sounds pretty good right about not.
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TroubaDuo
“New Beginnings”
Bryson and Jill VanCleve, the husband and wife behind TroubaDuo, have seen it all. From starting a farm in Arkansas and failing to get it off the ground as they hoped, to raising a family, to approaching music with fresh and open determination, they are the right people to be singing “New Beginnings.” The song is a bit more rock’n’roll than their previous releases and it works, with Bryson’s punk delivery and Jill’s reassuring duet, “New Beginnings” will get you to where you need to go. – Rachel Cholst