Swindell, Smith release new CDs

High & Low

The title track to this Caitlyn Smith album was co-written with Miley Cyrus, one that likely knows a thing or two about getting high. However, this is not a drug song (at least not intentionally so), but one that explores the ups and downs of life instead. In fact, Smith had initially considered breaking the album down into high and low song sections. Ultimately, she just mixed it all together. Smith, known by many mostly as a successful Nashville songwriter, presents herself as an especially ...

Stereotype

Already successful as both a songwriter and a headlining performer, Cole Swindell's showcases both sides of that equation. The album includes seven co-writes of his own among the 13 tracks and some solid vocal turns on the hits that continue to prove that he is more than just a hit songwriter. "Never Say Never, a duet with Lainey Wilson, is the powerful centerpiece. The song is arranged so the two singers' lines snake around each other as a bona fide 80's power ballad unfurls ...

Supernova

A lover of the cosmos and all things mystical, Caitlyn Smith continues with her astronomy-themed discography on her sophomore album, "Supernova," the follow up to 2018's "Starfire." The opening track, "Long Time Coming" starts out with a punishing drum beat and morphs into a heavily distorted guitar solo, which suggests angry heartbreak and its accompanying frustration. However, Smith bills the song as a "little anthem of hope to myself," having just ...