Boston, MA isn’t the first city you think of when you think about country music, but today we were sent a song from an artist based there that is worth a listen.  Richard Schroder‘s upcoming new single, “Time’s a Wastin’,” scored a 7.3 on our scoring system, indicating that it is a “good country song.”  It is the second single off his upcoming new album, due to drop in the spring.  Make sure you check it out when it releases on January 15th!

Scoring System

• 9.0-10 = Great country song/album
• 8.0-8.9 = Very good country song/album
• 7.0-7.9 = Good country song/album
• 6.0-6.9 = Decent country song/album
• 5.0-5.9 = Average country song/album
• 4.0-4.9 = Below average country song/album
• 0-3.9 = Not a good country song/album

Releasing today, “Good Ol’ Boy” by Jacob Bryant reminds you of Brantley Gilbert’s gruff style.

“This song is not at all meant to be polarizing nor political,” Jacob Bryant said. “These days, it seems that being a ‘Good Ol’ Boy’ offends some people, and people assume a lot about the culture, including political leanings.”

Bryant said he wants to be whom he was raised to be, holding true to his values.

“It is hard, but sometimes you have to stand up for who you are,” Bryant said. “I want to be good to everyone, but unfortunately, you cannot please everyone, and you certainly do not want to change all you are to do so.”

This song scores an 8.0 on our scoring system and is well worth a listen!

For more music reviews, click here.

• 9.0-10 = Great country song/album
• 8.0-8.9 = Very good country song/album
• 7.0-7.9 = Good country song/album
• 6.0-6.9 = Decent country song/album
• 5.0-5.9 = Average country song/album
• 4.0-4.9 = Below average country song/album
• 0-3.9 = Not a good country song/album

Dave Nudo’s new single “You Could Do Better” will have your toes tappin’ along during your first listen.  It’s an upbeat song, with lyrics that remind you of Josh Abbott Band’s “I’m Your Only Flaw.”  The song scored a solid 7.5 in our scoring system, a good country song.  Check it out here!

• 9.0-10 = Great country song/album
• 8.0-8.9 = Very good country song/album
• 7.0-7.9 = Good country song/album
• 6.0-6.9 = Decent country song/album
• 5.0-5.9 = Average country song/album
• 4.0-4.9 = Below average country song/album
• 0-3.9 = Not a good country song/album

Ya’ll want Country Music?  Check out the new single by former NFL safety Joe King called “Down in Stillwater Oklahoma.”  It kicks off with some good old steel guitar and doesn’t let up with the traditional country sound.  Our first thought was that it sounded like something that George Strait would record.  As we dove into this further, we learned that we weren’t too far off…some of Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band members are playing on this track!  We give it a score of 7.7, which makes this a good country song!

Take a listen to the song here and let us know what you think of it!

HCM Scoring Scale:

• 9.0-10 = Great country song/album
• 8.0-8.9 = Very good country song/album
• 7.0-7.9 = Good country song/album
• 6.0-6.9 = Decent country song/album
• 5.0-5.9 = Average country song/album
• 4.0-4.9 = Below average country song/album
• 0-3.9 = Not a good country song/album

The Dugger Band – Photo via their Facebook Page

East Tennessee’s The Dugger Band, headlined by brothers Jordan and Seth, recently released their new single “Good Ride” (10/30).  We were introduced to them via an email asking us to listen to their music, so we did.  Be careful what you ask for, because we may not only listen to it, but we may also grade it!

The email described them as a Pop/Country band, which is a disservice to the band (we hate when acts are coined as “Pop Country” – if you’re country, OWN IT!).  The song was fairly country, especially by today’s radio standards, and one would not be surprised to hear it on the radio either today or ten years ago.  In fact, we expect to hear them on the radio sooner than later.  We are intrigued and look forward to their next single, due out later this month.  “Good Ride” scored a 7.4 on our scoring scale, which means it is a good country song.

Check out the lyric video for the song and let us know if you agree with our assessment!