I would love LINYA - one of Carrie's most mature and most expressive vocals yet. It's probably my favourite pick on the album. But I've already had my second favourite, as the lead single, and I know I'm unlikely to get both (I think, actually, Carrie has said earlier that she won't perform it live).
CCA is the most ambitious and "different" song on the album - some critics have called it not just an album, but a career, highlight. She's obviously not averse to performing it, plays on it, and probably sees it as a standard bearer for the "Twang Rock" vibe she mentioned. It may well be a single - but I'm equally convinced that it may well not be. It could go either way - and that may depend on how much radio risk the label is prepared to take. I'm sure it would be a hit (especially on Hot Country Songs) - but conventional wisdom may be more nervous about it also reaching the top three on the airplay chart. Some of its influence comes from the "Americana" wing (which Jay Joyce straddles) - and although it wouldn't be described by the Roots community as an Americana song as such, there might be some nervousness that Mainstream radio might not fully embrace it in the way they have her other singles. Also, the main thematic reference is to Bobbie Gentry - which means skipping the main recent Nashville influences for an earlier period, and an artist then considered somewhat controversial for her crossover leanings.
I hope they take the risk, either now or later, and I hope Carrie proves she is one of the very few contemporary artists who could pull it off (the recent success of Chris Stapleton - who is far from a conventional Nashville-background artist - may have helped in broadening the demand - though it's noticeable that he's done much better on HCS than on Airplay).
"Dirty Laundry" is a song I would probably have preferred to "Church Bells" - though I think its more specialized, and arguably less commercial than CB.
"Chaser" would, in many ways, have the best all-round appeal. The fact that it was released to radio in the UK alone may imply that it was not considered a main prospect for the US market, though - if it had been, I would have expected a simultaneous release (which would have helped it over here as well). As it was, I found the UK release disappointing - two instrumental passages I thought integral to the lilt and mood of the song were cut, making it more "ordinary", and I don't think it received a great deal of notice.
I think the two big possibilities are DL and CCA - I'd be happy with either, but I really hope they do go for the bolder choice of CCA
