ALBUM REVIEW•Vandoliers - The Vandoliers
Listeners averse to slick sounds will likely be put off by the gloss that defines this music, but underneath the candy-coating lives a band of remarkable agility.
ALBUM REVIEW•Mariel Buckley - Everywhere I Used To Be
This is a major step forward for Buckley; her palpable confidence in her talent, along with some hypnotic melodies, is on track to make her a significant alt-country/Americana presence.
STAFF PICKS•Kelsey Waldon - No Regular Dog
With No Regular Dog, Waldon not only eviscerates any established understanding of who she is as an artist, but more importantly as a woman.
ALBUM REVIEW•Various Artists - Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson
This nuanced, lively project serves as a fine tribute to Anderson, and, for the uninitiated, a compelling introduction to his catalog.
ALBUM REVIEW•Dylan Scott - Livin' My Best Life
Scott misses a golden opportunity to break new ground - though you can’t help but feel this was never his aim in the first place.
ALBUM REVIEW•Travis Denning - Might As Well Be Me
Raw, classic country storytelling with a pinch of the hard stuff.
STAFF PICKS•Amanda Shires - Take It Like A Man
Amanda Shires has been waiting to take her throne for too long, but Take It Like A Man is the record that finally confirms her ascension. Long live the Queen. Americana finally has a pop icon it can be proud of.
ALBUM REVIEW•Murder By Death - Spell / Bound
MBD’s latest nine-song opus is moderately more cohesive and, dare we say, accessible than some of their previous work.
ALBUM REVIEW•Whiskey Myers - Tornillo
With Tornillo, the band push the limited borders of Southern Rock wider with creativity and faith in their own substantial talents.
STAFF PICKS•Zach Bryan - Summertime Blues EP
Zach Bryan’s Summertime Blues speaks directly to this moment in time. It's an ultimately earth-shattering release in its very own way.
ALBUM REVIEW•John Moreland - Birds In The Ceiling
There are multiple truths, uncertainties and life revelations infused in these tracks, all underscored by Moreland’s honesty and artistry.
ALBUM REVIEW•Arlo McKinley - This Mess We're In
Even though this doesn’t break new sonic ground, it’s proof that Arlo McKinley is a talent who’s in it for the long haul.
STAFF PICKS•The Deslondes - Ways & Means
These five veterans have got back to the basics of who they are and why they play together, and the results speak for themselves.
ALBUM REVIEW•Richie Furay - In the Country
Give Furay credit for remaining in the game at this late stage. But it’s not too much to expect something more substantial, original and compelling from a guy with a standing in Americana history as impressive as his.
ALBUM REVIEW•Luke Combs - Growin' Up
Growin’ Up stubbornly asserts that a solid country album can simply be a solid country album. Whether that will be enough in a market where only the biggest releases get attention, only time will tell.
ALBUM REVIEW•Peter Rowan - Calling You From My Mountain
Coloring within bluegrass’s established outline, Calling You From My Mountain is another classy, beautifully crafted addition to a catalog and 60-plus-year career that’s as impressive as any in roots Americana.
COUNTRY CLASSICS•Willie Nelson - Stardust
Stardust managed to capture something almost childlike in its simplicity; Nelson’s gently picked guitar drawing out the melancholy from the songs and filling the space around it with a wistful sense of the slow passing of time. The whole album is just a step away from being a collection of really fucking sad Muppets songs.
ALBUM REVIEW•Hackensaw Boys - Hackensaw Boys
The vulnerability in the lyrics and music of the Hackensaw Boys' new release feels honest and natural - a refreshing way to propel the band forward into their third decade.
ALBUM REVIEW•Jimmie Allen - Tulip Drive
It might only be June, but Allen just made a bid for album of the summer. Sometimes, albums can just make you feel good 一 and that’s enough.
COUNTRY CLASSICS•Gretchen Wilson - Here for the Party
Here for the Party is the soundtrack to which we can honor our own gloriously complicated lives and fully accept our origin stories with outward pride.
ALBUM REVIEW•Brett Eldredge - Songs About You.
A solid - if a tad predictable - offering from one of country's leading men.
ALBUM REVIEW•Various Artists - Americana Railroad
Former Textone Carla Olson and an all-star cast of contributors bring the seminal sounds of the American West to full fruition.
COUNTRY CLASSICS•Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
‘Red Headed Stranger’ not only catapulted Willie Nelson to superstardom, but it also marked his first artistic triumph on his own terms. Its impact on country music has been incalculable.
ALBUM REVIEW•Michaela Anne – Oh To Be That Free
Some singer-songwriters hide their emotions behind the characters in their songs; Nashville resident Michaela Anne is not one of them. This set digs deeper into the almost wincingly intimate issues she comes to terms with on these eleven shimmering folk pop pieces.