Duos lead this week’s crop of new music. Brothers Osborne returns with a hard-driving, barroom-ready new track, while another brother duo, Band Reeves, melds country and pop with a faith-leaning message. Duo the Band Loula brings a haunting song of shattering norms in favor of one’s own freedom and redemption. Bluegrass group Sister Sadie opens up about bringing an end to generational trauma with its devastatingly vulnerable new release, while Cody Jinks returns with a blistering indictment against devious people.
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.
Brothers Osborne, “Finish This Drink”
Sibling duo Brothers Osborne return with their first new music since its EP Break Mine, and with the hard-charging “Finish This Drink,” the bros are determined to keep the good times happening all the way ’til last call — and likely beyond. Written by TJ Osborne and Alysa Vanderheym, with production from TJ and John Osborne, the song is a sonic slab of vibrant, rock-tilted country, spurred by John’s blazing guitar work and TJ’s booming vocal.
Sister Sadie, “Let the Circle Be Broken”
This all-women bluegrass group serves up a haunting yet hopeful message about finding the courage to sever cycles of generational anguish, to halt the tide of trauma. “It didn’t start with me but this is where it stops,” sings Sister Sadie member Deanie Richardson, who wrote this deeply resonant song with Erin Enderlin and Dani Flowers. Fiddle plays an inspirational melody, while the members of Sister Sadie join their voices in haunting harmony. Essential listening from one of bluegrass music’s most-lauded groups.
The Band Loula, “Running Off the Angels”
This Georgia duo, featuring Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons, blend sabulous, soulful vocals with a story of finding grace and redemption far away from Sunday morning church pews. They first gave a preview of the song last year, but with its full-fledged release, fusions of organ, bass, fiddle and dobro heighten the dramatic, southern gothic feel. An immensely promising release from this duo.
Cody Jinks, “Snake Bit”
The longtime Texas stalwart Jinks follows his recent releases “Put the Whiskey Down” and “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)” with this new track, which finds him boldly calling out the deception of “snakes in the grass” in his life (a concurrent Instagram post from Jinks stated that the song was aimed at unscrupulous music industry types). The song brims with defiance, melded with Jinks’s classic country-rock instrumentation and the burly, world-weary vocal that has become his calling card.
Band Reeves, “Outrun You”
This brother duo blends country, pop and CCM on its debut single for this airy track with a heartfelt message, chronicling band member Jeramy Reeves’s own faith journey. The song’s polished, twangy vibe, closeknit sibling harmonies give it a resonant, relatable feel, while still keeping the song’s hopeful message at the fore. Written by Band Reeves’ Jeramy and Cody Reeves, along with co-writer and producer Jeff Pardo, this is a promising introduction to this new talent.
