EDITORS’ NOTES

With High Noon, Jerrod Niemann achieves a balancing act that eludes many contemporary Nashville singer/songwriters. His music falls gracefully between the pop-infused anthems atop the country charts and low-key, boot-stomping traditionalism. Niemann tempers the poppy gloss of tunes like “Come On, Come On” and “Buzz Back Girl” with touches of ’70s countrypolitan and old-school twang (“Day Drinkin’”). When he turns out a slow-swinging, blues-inflected burner in “The Real Thing,” he scores the album’s most soulful, infectious melody. But High Noon’s most amiable quality is Niemann’s whip-smart one-liners. “I’m no Shakespeare or Kristofferson,” he teases on “Lucky #7.” Maybe he’s not, but the detailed wordplay and shrewd insight throughout the album suggest that he's inspired by both.