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.
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.
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.
Willie Nelson - Yesterday's Wine
When Willie found a new creative impetus in Austin, he began an artistic rebirth that continues unabated to this day. Crucially, Yesterday’s Wine is where it started.
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Revolution is a masterclass in songwriting that perfectly balances tradition with modern style. Inarguably, it remains the template for what great country music should always be about.
Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Nancy & Lee
The songs on Nancy & Lee helped both artists to shape their sounds at pivotal moments in their lives; creating a dark, complex and ethereal synergy that would inform generations that followed.