The Boot’s Weekly Picks: Shaboozey, Michaela Anne and More

Hailing from Eastern Kentucky, Ian Noe has crafted a sound all his own thanks to his debut Off This Mountaintop and the follow-up, Between the Country. Now, Noe is getting ready for the release of River Fools & Mountain Saints, and if "Pine Grove" is any indication, it's going to be one of the most celebrated records of 2022. -- Chuck Armstrong

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Michaela Anne imbues this Carole King cover with so much warmth and depth that one might mistake it for an original. Anne has said that the song took on new meaning last year, when her mother suffered a debilitating stroke shortly after Anne became pregnant with her first child.

"The times you were born in / May not have been the best / But you can make the times to come / Better than the rest," Anne sings in the third verse, a balm for herself, her family and anyone suffering through these difficult days. -- Will Groff

Rising artist Erinn Peet Lukes heads down to the American Legion in her new video for "Country Music Breaks My Heart," filmed in her newly-adopted hometown of Nashville. With wit and humility, Lukes cleverly supplies an honest and relatable recollection of her sometimes complicated relationship with country music.

Toxic positivity is a menace, especially as love lives are concerned, but Tenille Townes provides an antidote with this refreshingly honest admission of romantic frustration. There are shades of pop-punk in the song's explosive chorus, a fitting choice for a track about how disappointing it can be to watch other people fall in love. -- Will Groff

Amidst the perennial debate over what is country music, who belongs, etc etc, there is no doubt that country music is a suburban genre. Stephanie Jacques, one of The Boot's Artists to Watch in 2022 currently running a Kickstarter campaign for her next album, gives us a taste of what's to come with this exquisite critique of single-family housing. Using steel guitars to evoke a sense of nostalgia, Jacques gently and sweetly tears down the preconceived notions of the American dream. -- Rachel Cholst

Spankin' brand new duo The Montvales describe this song simply: it's a country song about abortion. With warm harmonies that evoke the Indigo Girls, the pair give their vocals a twang that invokes a punk rock sharpness. While the topic is serious, the song is irresistably catchy -- perhaps illustrating the tension between our culture viewing youth as a carefree time, while sweeping those cares under the rug. -- Rachel Cholst

Ali Sperry's feminist anthem processes the last four years of marked racial tension, toxic masculinity, and nepotism into one of the last things you'd expect: bouncy, confident pop. Using a string section that invokes the Nashville Sound, Sperry dances on the line between Shania and Sleater-Kinney, describing a hero we can all aspire to be. -- Rachel Cholst

If you're looking for a perfected blend of alt-country and hip hop, look no further than Shaboozey's infectious new single "Tall Boy." In the track's music video, the Virginia native heads to Nashville's oldest dive bar, the Springwater Supper Club, to let off some steam and throw a few back.

He manages to take a classic country, bar-drinking narrative and elevate it with a modern, experimental edge -- a feat many others have tried with varied success. But Shaboozey hits it out of the park with a layered soundscape and a dance floor-ready chorus that will be living in your head for days. -- Lorie Liebig

Ahead of the release of two new studio albums and tour dates that will take him all over the country and Europe, Jack White has shared another taste of new music with the beautiful track, "Love Is Selfish." Putting down his electric guitar, the new song focuses on White's voice and his softer, acoustic sound while the lyrics find him wrestling with the realities of love. "Love Is Selfish" will be part of his next record Entering Heaven Alive, set for release on July 22. -- Chuck Armstrong

Northern Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance has teamed up with Anderson East for a new version of his atmospheric track "Sapling." The powerful, reflective song is about realizing that the time for change has arrived, but with that epiphany also comes fear and uncertainty. The addition of East's always soulful, evocative vocals bring a new layer of intensity to Vance's already moving lyrics. -- Lorie Liebig