Damn Drunk by Ronnie Dunn (@RonnieDunn)

Ronnie Dunn is no stranger to perseverance. Today I was looking at his Wikipedia page and realized he’s 63 years old this year. That’s a reminder that Brooks & Dunn didn’t breakthrough until they were nearly 40 years old. That’s pretty unusual for new artists in country music.

Ronnie has been out on his own for five or so years now. His first solo single after B&D reached the top ten on the radio charts, but since then it’s been a bit of a struggle to find radio success.

Ronnie teamed with Nash Icon for his next album that’s coming out later this year. The first single didn’t make a huge dent, but there’s a new one that might have what it takes for a breakthrough.

Let’s check it out.

Damn Drunk – Ronnie Dunn

First, Ronnie sounds as good as ever. That voice hasn’t suffered at all over the years. It’s still one of the best in the business and that alone gives this song a chance for success.

But on a second point is that this song seems to have a great blend of traditional Ronnie sounding country with some modern touches. There’s a little R&B in there and that’s been something that’s been part of country music lately. So I think fans will be very open to this one and that’s good for Ronnie.

The song itself is a pretty straightforward love song, but it’s a solid one. The lyrics are solid. It’s a unique take on how this guy feels for a woman.

And the final interesting thing is that Kix Brooks joins on to provide some harmonies on the track. You can kind of hear it in there if you listen. There is just something about these two guys putting their voices together that works.

What do you think of this new one?

Chart Estimate: #10

CML Points: 89/100