MEN & MASCARA - JULIE ROBERTS
The title track from Roberts’ forthcoming sophomore album is a compelling ballad about a woman looking for love yet finding herself alone the morning after, pondering just what she’d done and where she went wrong. The chorus boasts one of the best hook lines to come out of Nashville in a long time: “Men and mascara always run.” The lyric paints a portrait of a woman scorned but resilient, and Roberts’ bluesy vocals convey just the right combination of strength and vulnerability, sadness and hope. This single is a perfect match of great song and great vocalist that should easily engage programmers coast to coast. Roberts’ debut disc went gold, and she became a critics’ darling. With this strong new single, she looks sure to avoid any sophomore slump.–Billboard
