Kendall Beard

Kendall Beard sings with a breathless urgency, which complements her songwriting on sophomore LP Here Comes Trouble through highlights "Ready to Roll," "Run While You Can," and the anthemic "Rock This City." The songwriter's Love & Chaos partner AJ Vallejo delivers surefire contemporary country production to match Beard's big and defiant sound as she shoots for the mainstream spotlight, even as the album's second half drops into trite pop-country ("Johnny and June," "Southern Bell"). And for all her bite, Beard doesn't leave much of a mark, leaning too heavily into the expected modern radio fare to actually stand out.