STAFF PICKS•Loney Hutchins - Buried Loot: Demos from the House of Cash and Outlaw Era, ‘73-‘78
A double-album’s worth of ‘70s recordings never intended for public consumption, Buried Loot is indeed a treasure trove of lost outlaw-country classics.
ALBUM REVIEW•Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Barn
There’s something assuring about this combination, like the comfortable fit of an old flannel shirt.
ALBUM REVIEW•The Band - Cahoots (50th Anniversary Edition)
Experiencing this wonderful revitalization of Cahoots should spark renewed interest in what remains one of The Band’s still worthy efforts.
ALBUM REVIEW•Nicole Atkins - Memphis Ice
Even if Nicole Atkins’ name is unfamiliar, Memphis Ice shows her to be a superlative talent just waiting for the world to acknowledge her gifts.
ALBUM REVIEW•Treetop Flyers - Old Habits
An immersive, nostalgia-driven fourth studio album from the London six-piece.
ALBUM REVIEW•Jason Boland & The Stragglers - The Light Saw Me
Buckle in - this concept album is an existential western sci-fi extravaganza.
ALBUM REVIEW•Willie Nelson - The Willie Nelson Family
Yet another outing by America’s most invincible icon, assisted this time by family and friends.
STAFF PICKS•Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raise The Roof
Consider labelling this hugely-anticipated record as the very definition of Americana.
ALBUM REVIEW•Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts
This is a sweat-soaked gig that will make even the most skeptical observer surely appreciative of Springsteen’s talents as a potent writer, player, singer, bandleader and especially performer.
ALBUM REVIEW•Harrison Whitford - Afraid of Nothing
With his sophomore effort, Harrison Whitford fleshes out the hushed, contemplative sound he introduced on his solo debut and emerges as a producer with a unique vision.
ALBUM REVIEW•Dion - Stomping Ground
Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and friends join the 82-year-old doo-wop icon for this rapturous bluesy collection.
ALBUM REVIEW•Cody Jinks - Mercy
On Mercy, where Jinks has the option to be definitive and nuanced, he more often opts for vague declarations and opposing expressions.
ALBUM REVIEW•Jake Shimabukuro - Jake & Friends
Jake Shimabukuro welcomes guest stars including Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, Bette Middler and more for this eclectic set of covers.
ALBUM REVIEW•Kiely Connell - Calumet Queen
Kiely Connell may be a newcomer now, but based on this striking recording, she won’t be for long.
COUNTRY CLASSICS•Taylor Swift - Red
As with so much of Swift’s output, Red can be remembered as it should be: truly, gloriously singular. Just don’t say it’s her best album.
ALBUM REVIEW•Sam Outlaw - Popular Mechanics
Whether he continues releasing this overtly dated music is unclear. However, those who have previously jumped on Sam Outlaw’s chugging Americana train will want to sample his newfound course before hanging on for this unforeseen trip back in time.
ALBUM REVIEW•Doc Watson - Life’s Work: A Retrospective
Spanning the breadth of Doc Watson’s career, this new box set offers a thorough —if disjointed —overview of one of the most important country/bluegrass figures of the 20th-century.
STAFF PICKS•Gov't Mule - Heavy Load Blues
If this sidetrack sends some of Gov’t Mules’ harder-rocking fans back to hear the originals - while tempting them with new music - it has done its job.
ALBUM REVIEW•Aimee Mann - Queens of the Summer Hotel
It’s a measure of Aimee Mann’s skills that even though she admits feeling “possessed” when writing about someone else’s memoir, she’s definitely made it her own.
STAFF PICKS•Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - The Future
The Future effectively combines provocative lyrics married to the Sweats’ trademarked attack; one that’s successful, even triumphant, and paves the way for more of the same in forthcoming endeavors.
ALBUM REVIEW•Legendary Shack Shakers - Cockadoodledeux
For this Shack Shakers edition, J.D. Wilkes shifts to high octane country swing, mashing Commander Cody and Asleep at the Wheel’s trademarked Texas soufflé with good natured honky-tonk.
ALBUM REVIEW•Emily Scott Robinson - American Siren
It appears that Emily Scott Robinson can no longer be labelled as an emerging talent; with this album she’s surely already there.
ALBUM REVIEW•Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cash – At the Carousel Ballroom, April 24, 1968
This record captures Cash in a transitory stretch - not yet lauded as the spokesperson for the downtrodden and a progenitor of the “outlaw” sound, but rather a talented country musician plying his trade on the road.
ALBUM REVIEW•Hayes Carll - You Get It All
You Get It All indeed does have it all: the good, the bad and the most acute challenges of human experience which Carll treats with humor, heart and clear-eyed intelligence.