STAFF PICKS•S.G. Goodman - Teeth Marks
Teeth Marks may be a slim collection, but in its songs, Goodman somehow manages to pack in more of everything. Not only are they more vulnerable, gripping and immediate -- they’re also, as a whole, groovier.
STAFF PICKS•Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak
American Heartbreak sculpts the entire breadth of human experience, as Bryan stitches together songs of love, loss and life’s fleeting nature with brilliant command.
STAFF PICKS•Leyla McCalla - Breaking The Thermometer
With near unmatchable vocal strength, McCalla uproots hidden histories that hold the key to her ancestral past.
STAFF PICKS•Miranda Lambert - Palomino
Palomino revels in the idea of how good it feels to not be tied down to anything or anyone, to always be passing through the world and all the possibilities it becomes rich with when you do.
STAFF PICKS•Caroline Spence - True North
In an era where we are collectively reassessing meanings of life and death, the singer-songwriter's latest will stand as a lasting memento 一 an apt discernment of time and aging.
STAFF PICKS•Joshua Hedley - Neon Blue
A crash course in pure country from one of the music university’s finest and most knowledgeable professors.
STAFF PICKS•Maren Morris - Humble Quest
Humble Quest, the third album from country-pop superstar Maren Morris, is a nuanced return to the fold.
STAFF PICKS•Hailey Whitters - Raised
Raised is a generous and unabashed celebration of growing up in a big family in a small town that cements Whitters as a true country songwriter of note.
STAFF PICKS•Madi Diaz - Same History, New Feelings
These four renovated songs — once tear-stained journal entries — represent the breadth of experience, and the strength derived from re-shaping the story you tell yourself.
STAFF PICKS•The Whitmore Sisters - Ghost Stories
The key to the album’s success is not just the wonderful, beautifully crafted songwriting or even the Whitmore Sisters’ stunning vocals. Rather, it’s the years the duo spent honing their craft alone before realising that together, they shared the final piece of the wonderful puzzle.
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 a treasure trove of lost outlaw country classics.
STAFF PICKS•Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raise The Roof
Consider labelling this hugely-anticipated record as the very definition of Americana.
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.
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.
STAFF PICKS•Tom Petty – Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers
Similar to the best documentaries, you don’t need to be a Tom Petty fan to appreciate how this film captures the creation of Wildflowers, and illuminates his character, determination and perfectionism.
STAFF PICKS•Jason Isbell - Georgia Blue
Joined by a handful of like-minded musicians, 'Georgia Blue' sees Isbell cover a selection of songs by Georgia-hailing artists. It's a delightfully loose, expertly played and above all sincere 13-track set that checks every box for a project of this kind.
STAFF PICKS•Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days
This is a stone-cold, instant classic – one that should cement Carlile and her collaborators at the forefront of the warm embrace of mainstream Americana.
STAFF PICKS•Charley Crockett - Music City USA
It’s tricky to pick one singular track to return to after the 50-minute album is complete. It’s once again an all-killer-no-filler album, Crockett keeping up his extraordinary run of matching quantity with quality, all garnished with an endearing, “aw-shucks” vibe.
