Alison Krauss & Union Station - Arcadia
In choosing to create art to unite instead of divide, Alison Krauss and Union Station once again prove the unshakeable power of not just the bluegrass genre but music overall.
Lola Kirke - Trailblazer
Trailblazer is a revelation, an exercise in letting go and letting be; and in between its sturdy proverbs, born from a lifetime spent trying to figure it all out, an essential country album has been allowed to naturally unfold.
Kelsea Ballerini - PATTERNS
In a year when a lot of the albums released by country's big hitters have landed like bloops, Kelsea Ballerini has smashed it out of the park with a country pop grand slam.
Billy Strings - Highway Prayers
All in all, Highway Prayers is a comfort, a salve for when the road ahead is long, hard and unforgiving.
The Red Clay Strays - Made By These Moments
The Red Clay Strays are a band on the cusp of stardom, and Made By These Moments is a superb documentation of why.
Johnny Blue Skies - Passage Du Desir
Passage Du Desir arrives with a Parisian air of mystery, launching a new musical era of country's finest genre bender.