Sam Ellis has the golden touch with that modern pop-country vibe, crafting tunes with compelling stories that lend themselves to bold arrangements and a solid beat. He captures the all-consuming ache of a broken heart on Hunter Hayes’ “One Good Reason” and Lady Antebellum’s “What If I Never Get Over You,” and weaves a dark tale of a dystopian nation over skittering drums, vicious guitar, and country fiddle on Kane Brown’s “American Bad Dream.”