If "Hello Sunshine," Bruce Springsteen's first single from the upcoming "Western Stars" album, called to mind Jimmy Webb and late-'60s Glen Campbell, the gorgeous second single "There Goes My Miracle" seems descended from Roy Orbison.
Springsteen goes for a different sort of lush here, with a six-piece string section and a mix of Orbison-esque vocal drama and girl-group backbeat and a call-and-response with backing singers that include Seaford native Matthew Koma. The second half of Springsteen's impressive opening one-two punch guarantees "Western Stars" will be one of 2019's most-talked-about albums.
Keith Urban offers a sweet slice of straightforward country on his new single "We Were" (Hit Red/Capitol Nashville), packing it with plenty of fan-pleasing moments, including a cool guitar solo and a Def Leppard shout-out. Urban has been pushing country's boundaries in recent years, but this is a charming bit of nostalgia, co-written by Eric Church, that works well.
New "American Idol" Laine Hardy seemed destined to win from the moment he auditioned and his debut single "Flame" (Hollywood/19) shows why. Likable and both vaguely country and rock, "Flame" ruffles no feathers in a Kris Allen kinda way. Don't worry, Alejandro Aranda fans, that guy's going to be just fine.
