The Boot’s Weekly Picks: Jordan Fletcher, The Young Fables + More

Jordan Fletcher delivers fatherly advice with grit and warmth on his new Dave Cobb-produced single, "Death and Taxes." The song has an easy swagger like a good pop country song, though Fletcher's gravelly voice suggests that his advice is hard-earned.

While Fletcher spends the first verse expounding on the small aggravations of life, the song's breezy tempo and lush instrumentation remind us that these things are fleeting, and love is permanent. -- Rachel Cholst

"A Thing Or Two" is the latest preview of The Young Fables' forthcoming album, Pages. The dreamy tune is penned by the pair's Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford alongside acclaimed singer-songwriter Liz Longley. It chronicles the story of a beautiful, everlasting relationship that transpires from various twists and turns in life.

“Loving you, I can do it with my eyes closed / Loving you like I've done it all along / All of the wrongs and the troubles I’ve made, every stumble pushed me out of place / but I fell into loving you," Wright sings of their enduring romance, with Lunsford and Longley offering spell-binding backed-up harmonies. -- Jeremy Chua

You know that sense of impending doom when someone you love is doing something stupid, but you know you have to let them figure that out for themselves? Jesse James DeConto of The Pinkerton Raid does.

"Sometimes, Brothers" was initially recorded for the band's previous album Where the Wildest Spirits Fly, but DeConto chose to let it mellow from a dark, angry ballad to something more plaintive and honest. The pain and resignation in this song is so thick you could cut it with a knife -- and maybe you need to send it to someone you know. -- Rachel Cholst

"Can't Keep Up" is an addictively jubilant number that's perfeclty layered with a horn section, chest-thumping percussion, euphoric handclaps, gospel-like gang vocals and other jazz-influenced instrumentation.

Lyrically, the song invites listeners to break out of the monotony of life and let loose, celebrate and enjoy the present moment.

"Pour me a glass of something special / I’m in the mood to celebrate / Dance like the devil went down to Georgia / ’Cause he can’t keep up with hell we raise," Eldredge sings on the exuberant, larger-than-life chorus.

"Can't Keep Up" is the opening track of Eldredge's brand-new album, Songs About You, and was co-written with esteemed songwriters Heather Morgan and Nathan Chapman. -- Jeremy Chua

Veteran rocker Dave Goddess likes to stick to the truth. Drawing inspiration from heroes like Tom Petty and Bruce Springstreen, Goddess loves to feature characters who are down on their luck and refusing to let that bring them down. "Back in Business" calls to mind the dusky dive bars of Goddess's Lower East Side, an optimistic roots rocker that refuses to be kicked to the curb. --��Rachel Cholst

It's not everyday that a song flawlessly blends the lyrical elements of a comforting hymn, rootsy instrumentation, and the sheer honesty of country songwriting in a song. But this new Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton duet, written by Bobby Tomberlin, Ryan Larkins, and Anderson, does just that.

On the wistful opening verses, the singers question the reason for life's unanswerable, often terrible experiences like heartbreak and loss. However, things don't stay dark for long. Just like a good song of faith, the chorus invites listeners to turn their eyes to a hope greater than them.

"Someday we'll laugh at these roads that we've traveled / I am completely convinced / That hope never dies or goes out of fashion / Someday it'll all make sense," Anderson and Parton harmonize tenderly on the chorus. "Someday It'll All Make Sense" is featured on Bill Anderson's brand-new album, As Far As I Can See: The Best Of, and is one of two duets he has with the "Jolene" singer. -- Jeremy Chua

Nashville singer-songwriter Sean Della Croce brings a gentle folk sound to an all-too-common experience of queer youth: the unrequited crush. On "Rebecca Henry," Della Croce presents us with a careful character study of the narrator's beloved. While unrequited love is a universal experience, there is something particularly tragic about knowing the object of your affection will literally never reciprocate it, and, even if you did ask, you might be ostracized by your peers.

While Della Croce's song provides a nostalgic warm to the experience, it's also a reminder of the struggles many LGBTQ+ continue to face. -- Rachel Cholst