“Try Again” was composed by Cimarron 615 multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Tom Hampton. The second single from the band’s debut album, Brand New Distance, it’s a harmony-soaked and highly relatable tale of a struggling couple discussing one last attempt at togetherness.

“Rusty [Young] specifically said to me, that song should be a Number One,” recalled Hampton, who played alongside Young in the final Poco lineup. “With that endorsement, I thought that it probably should be one of the tunes that I brought to this project!”

“Try Again” had appeared on Hampton’s 1997 Our Mutual Angels solo album. But performing it recently as a duo with Cimarron 615 bandmate Michael Webb at Nashville’s storied Brown’s Diner produced an arrangement refreshed with Webb’s memorable mandolin parts.

“I called Tom afterwards and said, man, I can’t get ‘Try Again’ out of my head – I think it needs to go on the album!” said Webb. “So, even though that song was written beforehand, it came to us about as honestly as you can.”

The result is an alluring update of classic country-rock that spans generations with its cascading REM echoes. The rich, sweet blending of voices on “Try Again” is a Cimarron 615 trademark that, while steeped in tradition, has few contemporary peers. Helmed by Hampton’s achingly emotive lead vocal and poignant lyrics, “Try Again” is a hook-laden triumph that brings a time-honored genre firmly into the here-and-now.