The Boot’s Weekly Picks: Andrew Combs, Zoe Butler + More

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Andrew Combs is gearing up to release his fifth album Sundays, due out on August 19. His existential lead single "God(less)" is poignant yet hopeful, examining the uncertainty and chaos of our modern lives. Through the unsteadying fog, Combs supplies a needed reminder of the underlying, often overlooked beauty found within the small moments of our own human experiences. -- Lorie Liebig 

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

Stacy Antonel laments on the struggles of making a name for herself and her music in Nashville without “playing the game” on “Always the Outsider,” the title track from her forthcoming album out June 17. The tear in your beer tune sees Antonel, after one more PBR, come to the realization that solitude doesn’t always mean being free, singing “I’ve got no one to blame / thought I was too good to play / It’s been a rough two years / ‘cause I was wrong.” -- Matt Wickstrom

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

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

David Rosales delivers a fun, easygoing tune about dancing and goofing off with the one you love on “Ask Her to Dance”, the third single from his album Revive, due out July 22. The light-hearted and carefree song is a reminder to us all to live in the moment and not take the little joys of life for granted.

In the music video for “Ask Her to Dance,” Rosales and his wife can be seen soaking up the Southern California sunshine aboard a 1978 Santa Cruz 33' sailboat, leading by example in their quest to bring more joy and happiness to the world. -- Matt Wickstrom

You probably haven't heard of Fantastic Cat, but you likely know the members of this brand new supergroup of accomplished singer-songwriters. Comprised of Anthony D'Amato, Don DiLego, Brian Dunne and Mike Montali, the group is set to release their debut album, cheekily titled The Very Best of Fantastic Cat, due out on July 29. "C'mon Armageddon" gives listeners a first taste of what's to come, serving up a sound that conjures up that of folk icons from the 60s and 70s with a modern flare that's collectively all their own. -- Lorie Liebig

We can't be intense all the time -- Teddy and the Rough Riders 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. -- Rachel Cholst

Sister-led duo Larkin Poe once again illustrate their prowess in the blues rock arena with authority on “Bad Spell,” the first single from their new album Blood Harmony, out Nov. 11. The song acts as a female response to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ hit “I Put a Spell on You,” according to the band’s Rebecca Lovell. It features an equal amount of nastiness and swagger in its arrangement, as well as in it’s lyrics that transform it into a modern day anthem of empowerment and independence. -- Matt Wickstrom

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

Forrest McCurren longs for his wife Margaret during his time on the road in “Little Rock,” a country-rock endeavor in the vein of Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Prine, and the first single from his debut album Oh Me, Oh My, set for release on Aug. 19. On the track, McCurren recalls a trip through Little Rock, Ark. and a grungy hotel room he booked that was so nasty it drove him to go out that night and stay up so late that he wouldn’t care about the state of his surroundings when he returned. The next morning, he woke up hungover, full of regret and longing for his wife back home, leading to him penning this little ditty. -- Matt Wickstrom