5 New Country Songs You Must Hear: Chris Housman, Maddie & Tae & More

This week's new country music features Chris Housman's debut album and Georgia Webster's latest, while Bronwyn Keith-Hynes teams up with Dierks Bentley for a bluegrass spin on a Jimmy Buffett hit.

Chris Housman, Blueneck

Blueneck, the debut album from Kansas native and openly gay country musician Housman, blends a '90s country sound with songs that reflect Housman's truths and journey. The project collects songs released over the past few years as well as new tracks, including romantic songs (“Tomorrow, Tonight”), heartbreak (the beautifully crafted “I Can't Go Down that Road”) and hazy nights escaping her pressures of life (the dance “High Hopes”).

But Housman also turns his affinity for tight-lipped lyrics to songs like “Drag Queen,” about a drag queen who is “never a drag,” and the title track, where he sings, “I think y'all mean everything and I know we all just want to know that we belong.” “Bible Zone” centers around reflections on (and healing from) religious trauma and rejection. The song's uptempo feel and sheer hope for acceptance and respect turn the song into a cry At the heart of the entire project is Housman's heavy, flexible vocals and a series of songs that truly deliver a country music album that is comprehensive and universal.

Georgia Webster, “Town Talks”

In her third EP, Signs, Webster breaks down the emotional nuances of dealing with – and after leaving – a non-committal relationship. On “Town Talks,” she fights the urge to spill her ex's misdeeds onto the streets of Nashville because, as she sings, “Nashville's gonna hurt you more than me… this town talks so it doesn't have to. ” The Massachusetts native brings a masterful narrative arc to the overall project, but on this track, her conversational vocal style brings just the right touches of drama and intimacy.

Cameron Marlowe, “I Can Run”

Except for his new album Keepin' The Lights On, this track shows Marlowe's ability to wring every trace of emotion from a song. Written by Oscar Charles, Ben Roberts and Tucker Beathard, the song signals a powerful self-reflection of denial, frustration and anxiety. This is another solid vocal showcase from Marlowe.

Maddie & Tae, “Sad Girl Summer”

Don't be fooled by the song title – this isn't slow. Instead, this post-breakup track is a girl's best friend's attempt to get her out of sad girl mode and back into the dating scene. “Girl, you're catchable/ He's more catch and release,” they sing. Whirlwindy, intense, energizing and fueled by the duo's harmonies, it's sure to be a fan favourite.

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, “Trip Around the Sun”

Two-time IBMA fiddle winner Keith-Hynes, best known for her work in Molly Tuttle's band Golden Highway, teams up with country singer Dierks Bentley on this track from Keith-Hynes' second album I made a worldout now on Sugar Petunia Records.

Originally recorded by the late Jimmy Buffett and Martina McBride, here Keith-Hynes' impressive mandolin and fiddle work brings country into bluegrass territory, while the sonic atmosphere here allows for this meditation on acceptance and letting go of controlling the room to breathe and expand, evolving from ballad to bluegrass jam with fiddle. Throughout, Bentley's harmonies provide an earthy counterpoint to Keith-Hynes' airy vocals. Bentley, of course, has long shown an affinity for bluegrass, including his 2010 bluegrass project On the Ridge and returning to his first album, which featured a collaboration with The Del McCoury Band. The two are assisted by musical luminaries such as Bryan Sutton (guitar), Wes Corbett (banjo), Jerry Douglas (reso-guitar), Jeff Picker (bass) and Sam Bush (mandolin).