The Boot’s Weekly Picks: Mariel Buckley, Lauren Reno + More

Canadian country singer Mariel Buckley declares herself "queen of the one-star room" on this rollicking number about life on the road. The lead single off Buckley's upcoming album, Everywhere I Used to Be, "Shooting at the Moon" finds Buckley determined to find success and undeluded.about what it takes to get there. -- Will Groff

Anyone longing for '90s country need look no further than Lauren Reno's "Don't Think." With expert wordplay, a self-assured performance, and a full studio sound, this is what you've been waiting for. You may remember Reno's previous releases under her maiden name, Lauren Dimock. Working with husband and producer Ben Reno at their Majestic Ape studio, Reno's hitting the bricks with her upcoming album Gold Rush -- and if all the tracks sound like this one, it's a beautiful marriage of pop country sumptuousness and Americana grit. -- Rachel Cholst

Easton Corbin saddles up with a rollicking neo-traditional new song, "Hey Merle." A spirited ode to the iconic Merle Haggard, this catchy and euphoric number finds Corbin turning his eyes to the country elder statesman for advice, all while seamlessly weaving in the titles of his biggest hits.

"Hey Merle, did your Mama cry on the day you left Muskogee / Hey Merle, did the other side of them Swinging Doors get lonely / Did you end up on the fighting side when The Bottle Let You Down," Corbin sings in the opening verse.

"Hey Merle" was co-written by the "A Little More Country Than That" hitmaker alongside Rodney Clawson and Wade Kirby. -- Jeremy Chua

Long Island-based queer country band The Belle Curves get us jazzed for summer with "Check Engine Light" off of the band's upcoming sophomore release Watershed, due out June 24. The song starts off with a rumble, perhaps imitating the engine of the vintage van lead singer Delaney Hafener and her partner drove cross-country in, inspiring the song's lyrics. The Belle Curves celebrate and skewer the various narratives of authenticity they encounter along the way, all the while celebrating life's quirkiness. -- Rachel Cholst

Up-and-comer Robyn Ottolini is not playing around on her new song, "Say It." Instead of furiously bashing an old flame who did her wrong, Ottolini chooses to turn her post-breakup woes into a moment of self-empowerment. Sonically, the track is a mid-tempo tune that fittingly includes a couple of anthemic drumbeats mirroring her long-deserved emotional escape from an unhealthy relationship.

"I hate that he messed up my head / When I could've used a compliment / So I take the s--- I wish he'd said / And say it to myself, I say it to myself instead," Ottolini sings with new-found courage and strength. The Warner Music Nashville artist co-wrote this candid song with Emily Falvey and Nate Miles. -- Jeremy Chua

Virginia singer-songwriter Amy Martin's new song "Antebellum Town" has a political message, and she's got the voice to match it. Watching the events of January 6th from just outside of Charlottesville, still reverberating from far-right political violence, Martin picked up her pen.

"Antebellum Town" spells out the singer's deep appreciation for her Southern roots -- as well as a rejection of the hatred that lies beneath the polite surface of Southern culture. -- Rachel Cholst

Gregory Dwane claps back against country stereotypes suggesting alcohol as a solution to life’s problems on “This Ain’t a Drinking Song” from his upcoming EP, XX, out June 24.

On the rollicking anthem, Dwane runs through everything lost in his pursuit of getting high like car keys, girlfriends, gainful employment, freedom and enjoyment before exclaiming, “The last thing I need is another drink / a drink won’t fix a thing / it won’t change how I think.” -- Matt Wickstrom

Brothers Connor and Duncan Ivany, organic farmers in Guelph, Onatario, have a deep appreciation for the land around them. "Ohio in the Distance" is the brothers' exploration of the places we want to go to, but cannot. The song follows two characters: one, a boat captain retreating to the Canadian border during the War of 1812, and the other a Canadian in 2020 wishing to cross Lake Eerie into the States. Inspired by Americana and folk rock, The North Coast Band have crafted a beautiful, adventurous sing-along. -- Rachel Cholst

Boston-based Americana artist Matt York offers New England by way of East Nashville on this barn-burner from his new album, Gently Used. The who's who of Nashville musicians York gathered to record his new songs includes "Neon Blue" crooner Joshua Hedley, whose fiddle work here all but steals the show. -- Will Groff

Longtime Americana fans will fondly recall Spirit Family Reunion as an early forerunner of the scene in New York City, back when Williamsburg was actually an artists' neighborhood. Those days are gone, but Maggie Carson's music is soaring. Heading out on her own with her solo debut The Dark Was Aglow, "From Here to Everywhere" is a taste of Carson's fearlessly inquisitive approach to music. Wielding her banjo in place of a lead guitar, Carson brings us blistering rock'n'roll and impassioned singing as she reflects on her journey. -- Rachel Cholst