Saving Country Music’s Best Country Albums of 2017 So Far
For the last two years, both at the halfway pole and the finish line, it’s felt important to point out that despite a few stellar projects, and some of the greatest traction ever for independent country artists and albums, we were in the midst of what felt like a lull for projects that really set themselves apart and set the pace for creativity and cultural importance in country music. There just wasn’t that volume of stellar records we had seen in 2014, or in other years previous.
2017 is a different story. It feels like this has been a banner year already, with some of the year’s biggest projects still in the offing. Below is a run down of some of the best projects in Saving Country Music’s estimation.
Disclaimers:
The first albums highlighted should be considered early candidates for Saving Country Music’s “Album of the Year,” while everything else highlighted should be considered coming highly recommended.
PLEASE NOTE: This only includes albums that have been reviewed by Saving Country Music so far. Just because an album is not included here doesn’t mean it’s not good, or won’t be reviewed in the future.
Recommendations and opinions on albums is encouraged, including leaving your own list of favorite albums in the comments sections below. However, please understand that nothing is “forgotten,” and nobody’s list is “illegitimate” just because one particular album is left off, or a certain album is included. The point of this exercise is to expand the awareness of great music, and that is how it should be approached by all parties. Saving Country Music reviews a very large amount of material, and each year has reviewed more material than the year previous. That said, no critic or outlet can review every single project released in a given genre.
Also, the albums are presented in no particular order.
Zephaniah OHora – This Highway
Zephanaiah OHora’s This Highway just very well might be a modern classic country masterpiece. It’s flawless for what it is, which is a reawakening of everything brilliant and beautiful about the Countrypolitan era of country music, while leaving all the superfluousness of strings and choruses and other overproduction aside. In fact in a strange way, Zephaniah OHora, some 60 years after the original Countrypolitan era, has represented the essence and spirit of what made that era so great even better than some of the original artists and albums that helped define that epoch of American country music.
And don’t let me hear a peep about how some slicked back guy from the Big Apple is incapable of singing country music. Just listen to This Highway, and that perception is immediately discredited. If you want a good excuse to disregard Zephaniah OHora and This Highway, I offer my sincerest apologies. It is still eclectic to take this type of vintage approach to country music, and it won’t put Zephaniah on the Sturgill Simpson trajectory to superstardom. But for what it is and how it’s presented, This Highway leans heavily towards perfection. (read full review)
Jaime Wyatt – Felony Blues
For many of the best practitioners of country music, they don’t choose to pursue country music as a profession, country music chooses them. It becomes a necessity of their circumstances bred from hardship, bad decisions, a misspent youth, or other situations where the burdens of life grow so heavy, the only way to alleviate the load is to put those personal histories and bad experiences into song. With stories spun directly from Jaime Wyatt’s stained history, Felony Blues has the right style, as well as the real world-authenticity that true country music needs to not just send your toes tapping, but to stick to your bones as the real testaments of a life-worn soul.
Exquisitely produced and recorded with an excellent crew of musicians that includes Ted Russell Kamp, Gabe Wincher of The Punch Brothers, and fellow California country artist Sam Outlaw on the duet “Your Loving Saves Me,” the autobiographical, 7-song record is striking in how full and real it sounds, especially when held in contrast to the rather extended era of uninspiring output we find ourselves amidst in independent roots and country music. Though the album was made on a meager budget, no expense was spared if the song called for it, including steel guitar and backup singers, giving this otherwise West Coast country project plenty of Southern textures. (read full review)
Marty Stuart – Way Out West
This album is steeped in a moment when forces thought to be so diametrically opposed in culture began to cross breed in ways we are still trying to match the creativity of today. Being a tireless student of the music as he is, Marty Stuart has gone and made a record that delves into this era with such authority and enthusiasm, it comes as close to matching those original moments as anyone since.
Just like The West itself, Marty Stuart’s new album is vast and diverse. You have the Marty Robbins-style desert ballads, you have the California country Clarence White influence, you have the Native American and the Mexican represented since they have such a profound influence on the land, and it’s all interwoven with the wonder that the American West inspires.
As much as Marty Stuart is a student of country music—and always has been from his days of playing in the bands of Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash—he’s also a teacher. And with a refreshing boldness, and frankly a little bit of guts from running the risk of being misunderstood by some of the fuddy duddy fans of traditional country, Marty Stuart encapsulates a critical time in country and all of American music when country music became cool. And even better, with Way Out West, Marty Stuart proves it still is. (read full review)
Sunny Sweeney – Trophy
With Sunny Sweeney’s new album Trophy, it’s country, it’s Texas, and most importantly, it’s Sunny Sweeney all the way. It is the full package. It is a homecoming for Sunny. Like she says so well in the song “Nothing Wrong with Texas,” we all get so swept up in thinking there’s greener pastures, and better opportunities in latitudes and locations beyond our own, we forget that sometimes the things we go searching for in life are right under our noses. It’s not always a compromise to settle. Sometimes there’s nothing better than what you already have.
Trophy is the name of Sunny Sweeney’s fourth record, and a song about an attitude problem of an ex-girlfriend or wife. But the title is also indicative of a victory. The problem with money and fame is that you can always have more of it. The true victories in life are the ones earned when you discover something about yourself, and achieve a goal that is personal to you. Sometimes this comes with the earning of great wealth and recognition, and sometimes it comes at the compromise of them. But the measurements of fame and wealth are arbitrary and capricious. What’s most important is the personal discoveries you achieve. That is the point of the pursuit of happiness, and what is at the heart of Trophy. (read full review)
Jason Eady – Self-Titled
Jason Eady can do what they can do, but they can’t do what Jason Eady does, which is strip it all back and have the appeal for the music rest entirely on the written composition of a song. Even the most minimalist of performers have to rely a little bit on style, groove, or some sort of window dressing. But for Jason Eady, it’s almost like a type of Zen to him—trying to find the slimmest, most fragile accompaniment to his words as possible where you can’t help but allow the theater of the mind to take over, and your thoughts be submerged in the story and message.
What comes across most starkly on this record is Jason Eady’s use of perspective in his writing. Just like the moments in life, the more you listen and observe, the more a song can reveal its wisdom. It’s not just minimalism that’s at the heart of Jason Eady’s genius, it’s also the slow, careful pondering of moments. This is music for slowing down to—for taking stock. (read full review)
Joseph Huber – The Suffering Stage
It’s hard to say enough about Joseph Huber’s songwriting, and how he’s able to evoke melancholy and forlornness in both timeless and timely narratives, or his ability to step behind most any instrument and pull the magic out of a melody that is eerily perfect for the desired mood and message. But something that can’t be emphasized enough about Huber’s music, and what is at the heart of why his songs have this naturally mournful, yet warming sensation, is simply the way his record’s sound, boiled down to perfunctory recording technique. It’s wholly immersive on the senses, like the smell of the inside of your grandfather’s suitcase.
The Suffering Stage makes reference to the Buddhist philosophy of life as suffering, and to life as a “stage” that we’re all simply players on. Whether it’s a spiritual journey or a theatrical movement, the point is to walk away with something learned; something gained. This is what Joseph Huber delivers on this record. Old, forgotten memories get stirred to the forefront. Theories on life are recalled and reflected upon. And you don’t end up more happy like music is supposed to do, you end up a little sad and nostalgic, but in a way that’s strangely comforting in a manner simple happiness is incapable of delivering. (read full review)
John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
Moreland has always been the apex predator in the songwriting department since he began releasing albums, even preceding Jason Isbell for those who put the effort out to seek Moreland out and listen. But the production of his records has always left a little to be desired. It’s hard for an artist who is used to performing solo to sit in a studio and know what to do with additional musicians, and this came through in the recording process. Don’t mistake this as a desire for Moreland to have a “produced” sound. That would suffocate his music faster than anything. But releasing music that is infectious, that honors groove, that finds a fetching melody is just another way to broaden the audience for John Moreland songs and enhance the experience, and shouldn’t been seen as somehow disrespecting or misunderstanding what’s at the heart of his appeal.
Big Bad Luv is exactly the type of album that John Moreland needed to make, where his songcraft suffers none, but is bolstered by the virtue of a more compositional approach to the music itself. And this is the only place he could improve or “evolve,” because the songwriting was already at the pinnacle. This album works like memories do. Salient, yet immersed in longing. Warm, but tinged with a little bit of pain. The song ends, but the message remains in your heart—and on this album, the melody and beat still frolicking in your toes, while presenting maybe even a more elevated songwriting effort from previous Moreland works, if that is even possible. (read full review)
Colter Wall – Self-Titled
Like opening an old chest long ago stashed away in an attic or crawl space and ages forgotten, but once it’s cracked and the odoriferous concoctions emanating from its bowels mix with the memories tied to the contents in an overwhelming waff almost too much to behold, the yawning of Colter Wall’s vocal aperture is like the spontaneous appearance of a hoary portal into the past where the present day escapes the mind and you find yourself amidst the ghosts of a by-gone epoch.
Colter Wall’s voice is truly a thing to behold. No descriptor or accolade employed to convey its powers of conjuration can be accused of embellishment. The only detriment is that future generations will be burdened to find fresh adjectives to describe it, while us currently present in its audience have the unfair opportunity to attempt to recount its effects while it’s still being presented in its nascent state.
Styles and dialects and phonetics change, but the eternal themes that stir the soul remain, and it’s the seamless tie to what Colter sings about and how he sings it that makes the experience something beyond music. (read full review)
Willie Nelson – God’s Problem Child
Willie Nelson has never been one to rest on his laurels, or rely on past greatness to carry him through today. Even as he enters well into old age, he still approaches the journey with a life force and wisdom to convey his feelings and insight in a way that is both entertaining and enlightening. Hopefully Willie Nelson will live forever, because it’s impossible to fathom a world without Willie in it. And we’re not just talking about living forever through his legacy or his music, because obviously that is secured.
But the hard truth is that Willie won’t be around forever. As one of the most wise souls left on the entire planet, nobody knows this better than Willie. And so we’re going to get through the final stages of his life—which hopefully includes many more years and much more music—the same way we got through the first stages of life on Planet Earth with Willie: relying on his music to bring us the wisdom to work through the hard times, the joy to celebrate the good times, and end up as better people for listening to the careful musings and lesson that only a Willie Nelson song can convey. (read full review)
Dalton Domino – Corners
Songs are at the foundation of what makes Dalton Domino’s Corners so stunning. Written mostly by Dalton himself amidst a move to sobriety, it captures the moments during a transitional phase in life that go on to define us as people, set the stage for the rest of time, and stick out in memory no matter what else fades away. These periods are when the juices of life are at their most robust, and if you can capture them in song, and do so with honesty and eloquence, the result can be something compelling no matter what genre it falls into. That is what Domino does in Corners.
Corners gives the listener a lot to digest and explore. This is not a record you listen to a few times and feel you have a grip on. The more you listen, the more is revealed. Corners feels like an important project in country music, and in Texas music specifically. Dalton Domino is bringing influences to the region that are not entirely foreign to roots music, but do feel lost in the viewshed in the otherwise expansive and diverse Texas scene. It also announces Domino has a creative force, both in songwriting and sound, that we may see hints of it in other artists’ music in the coming months and years as they find their own inspirations in this project. (read full review)
The Brother Brothers – Tugboats
Based out of Brooklyn, The Brother Brothers is the closest thing you can find to Simon & Garfunkel in this century, yet with a primitive country sound. Incredible singing, some of the sweetest fiddle playing and cello accompaniment I’ve heard, and songs that are amazing in both their simplicity, and their ability to put rhyme and reason to complex human emotions.
All we have at the moment is an EP released earlier in 2017 called Tugboats, but in six songs and 18 minutes, The Brother Brothers accomplish what entire folk labels and festival lineups struggle to not accomplish, which is honing in on something so timeless and carnal to the musical intellect, the music resonates in the soul like echoing within the walls of a great cavern. The notes, and the words are not enough. You must have chemistry. And that’s what The Brother Brothers have in bushel baskets. Enough can’t be said positively about The Brother Brothers and Tugboats. (read full review)
Shinyribs – I Got Your Medicine
I don’t give a shit what you call it, Shinyribs and I’ve Got Your Medicine is just a damn good time. It’s a jambalaya of influences. Country, Dixieland, and other herbs and spices are certainly in there, but the main ingredient is that Louisiana soul that has somehow found a vessel in Kevin Russell and can’t be contained. And this music isn’t just presentation and fluff. Russell writes all but three of the twelve songs on this record, and of all the other assets to it, songwriting might ultimately be its strongest.
What I’ve Got Your Medicine does best is to sell you on the idea that Shinyribs is something that you should be a connoisseur of. The first part of this record is not all wild-assed like much of their live show. Kevin Russell really takes the time to hone in on his singing to ingratiate this music to you without all the visual aids and antics of the live experience.
Shinyribs is not for everyone, but it should be, if folks would just get off their high horses and submit to the good times and good vibes Kevin Russell brings. (read full review)
Other Albums Highly Recommended:
Rodney Crowell – Close Ties (read review)
Justin Townes Earle – Kids In The Street (read review)
Whitney Rose – South Texas Suite (read review)
Chris Stapleton – From A Room: Vol. 1 (read review)
Angaleena Presley – Wrangled (read review)
Dead Man Winter – Furnace (read review)
Natalie Hemby – Puxico (read review)
Aaron Vance – My Own Way (read review)
Pete Schlegel – J-Town (read review)
Bobby Bare – Things Change (read review)
Valerie June – The Order of Time (read review)
Kody West – Green (read review)
AJ Hobbs – Too Much Is Never Enough (read review)
Sam Outlaw – Tenderheart (read review)
Ags Connolly – Nothin’ Unexpected (read review)
Wheeler Walker Jr. – Ol’ Wheeler (read review)
Lindi Ortega – Til The Goin’ Gets Gone (read review)
Left Lane Cruiser – Claw Machine Wizard (read review)
The Wild Reeds – The World We Built (read review)
Robyn Ludwick – This Tall to Ride (read review)
Aaron Watson – Vaquero (read review)
Scott H. Biram – The Bad Testament (read video review)
Liz Rose – Swimming Alone (read review)
Sallie Ford – Soul Sick (read review)
Dale Watson and Ray Benson – Dale & Ray (read review)
Brad Paisley – Love & War (read review)
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Sidelong (read review)
Other Albums On The Radar, But Not Reviewed Yet:
Note: Just because an album has not been reviewed yet (or is not included here) does not mean it won’t be in the future. So chill.
- The Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me Anymore
- Ray Scott – Guitar For Sale
- Rich O’Toole – American Kid
- The Country Side of Harmonica Sam – A Drink After Midnight
- Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters
- Haybale – The Songs of Wayne Kemp
- Trixie Mattel – Two Birds
- Bob Wayne – Bad Hombre
- Sara Petite – Road Less Traveled
- Vandoliers – The Native
- John Baumann – Proving Grounds
- Pokey LaFarge – Manic Revelations
- Tony Jackson – Self-Titled
- The Steel Woods – Straw in the Wind
- Them Old Crap – Galeria Fantasma
- Glen Campbell – Adios
- Kayla Luky – Back To Dirt
- Jake Worthington – Hell of a Highway
- Bruce Robison and the Back Porch Band
- Richard Lynch – Mending Fences
- Daryl Dodd – Long Hard Ride
- David Childers – Run Skeleton Run
- The Rife & The Writer – Flowers of Chance
- James Carothers – Relapse
- Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway
- Franklin County Trucking – The Adventures Of…
- Cory Branan – Adios
- Andrew Combs – Canyons of My Mind
- Sera Cahoone – From Where I Started
- Koe Wetzel – Noise Complaint
- Nikki Lane – Highway Queen
June 12, 2017 @ 8:13 am
Not a bad album on the list thus far!! My top 5 would be the albums put out by Marty Stuart, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Colter Wall with the fifth being a toss up between Sam Outlaw and Ray Scott.
I got Guitar For Sale on Friday and have been listening to it through the weekend. Really anticipating your review.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:21 am
For me it’s The Suffering Stage vs. Colter Wall self titled. I also really enjoy Biram’s latest. It has such a great flow to it that I listened to it on repeat probably 10 times before noticing the album finishes with 3 straight instrumentals.
June 12, 2017 @ 6:42 pm
Those are my favorite two of the year. Suffering Stage is what I consider a perfectly made album
June 12, 2017 @ 8:23 am
So, Brad Paisley and Willie Nelson are the only major label artists on the list? Wow.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:30 am
What label an artist happens to be on has no bearing on whether they are included on this list or not. If it did, that would be an element of bias. Some years there are more major label artists included, some years there are less. Some independent outlets will never mention a major label artist. I’m already catching flack for Brad Paisley being here while others were left off. But he deserves to be here, so he is. In 2012, Kellie Pickler won my Album of the Year for “100 Proof”, and she was on a major label, and an American Idol alumnus. In 2013, The Mavericks won it with “In Time,” and that was on Big Machine. It’s all about the music, not what label an artist happens to be on.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:24 am
I always like your reviews. Take a look at the Steel Woods. Great album.
June 12, 2017 @ 1:01 pm
Agreed. I saw them open for Blackberry Smoke, one of my favorite bands. Steel Woods won me over that night. Bought their EP, all those songs are on the new release, which kicks ass.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:48 pm
Lucky. When I saw Blackberry Smoke, it was Luke Combs who opened…
June 12, 2017 @ 6:49 pm
I saw them in Birmingham, got their EP when we were leaving the venue, and got them all to sign it. Genuine, humble folks with more than their share of talent
June 12, 2017 @ 6:48 pm
Oh shit, great call. Steel Woods put out one of the best rock-with-the-right-amount-of-Blackberry-Smoke-esque-twang albums you’ll ever hear. That fella can SING
June 13, 2017 @ 5:14 am
Yeah, JWT, that album is great. The group I was with all liked them more than Smoke. Kinda had to agree with them.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:25 am
This list happened to be published JUST prior to the release of Jason Isbell’s “The Nashville Sound,” and after one spin through on NPR’s First Listen, I’m pretty confident it would have easily made this list.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:15 am
Jason Isbell doesn’t need stuff like this to get on people’s radar, while he may overshadow some of the other names. I didn’t purposely post this right before his album release, but it worked out well. 🙂
June 12, 2017 @ 9:25 am
For sure. That’s the facet of SCM I appreciate most. I’m already well aware of the body of work of all the nationally known artists. It’s the new or lesser-known artists I come to SCM to discover.
Well, I come here for that, the reviews, the news, and of course the rants!
June 12, 2017 @ 9:59 am
I listened on NPR too and it’s almost painfully good. Personally, I find it real hard to believe anything will top it (barring a surprise release from Sturgill; I can hope right?) though I do agree that Isbell’s name and reputation precede him (rightfully so) and including him here would shine the light less brightly on these other, lesser known but also well- deserving artists. It seems a little unfair to everyone else just how damn good he is.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:41 am
Much, much better than Something More Than Free.
The more organic sound, and the balance between slower acoustic songs and more rocked-up pieces, makes a huge difference.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:53 am
I agree on the balance of slower/acoustic and rockers. I haven’t listened to it through enough yet to make a comparison to Something More Than Free, which I am STILL trying to get over how good it was.
The thing about Something More Than Free is that to me, there is not a single skippable track until Hudson Commodore. Tracks 1-8 are absolutely essential. The last three are less memorable. But as a cohesive piece, SMTF was his best work to date until this one, which with a few more listens could take the top spot in my book.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:56 am
I’m a Southeastern guy. SMTF’s sterile production means that the title track, 24 Frames, Life You Chose and Palmetto Rose are the only songs in my regular rotation.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:00 am
I actually love what Dave Cobb did with SMTF, but I can’t disagree with Southeastern. I find myself skipping more tracks in Southeastern, but the highlights are the best he’s ever done, such as Cover Me Up and Elephant.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:25 pm
I still play Southeastern at least once a week or so. Something More Than Free, I’ve listened to complete maybe 5 times since it’s release. I play Children of Children often though – that solo is epic. Haven’t heard the new one yet!
June 12, 2017 @ 10:55 am
When it’s all said and done, perhaps the one thing that would keep me from saying The Nashville Sound is the best country album of 2017 is the fact that it’s more of a rock/folk album with Americana and some country accents. I’ll just settle with considering it “best album of 2017.”
June 12, 2017 @ 4:35 pm
Yes. I don’t think The Nashville Sound will be winning any country awards in 2017, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a decent album. If there were an award for “best Foo Fighters song”, Isbell might just best out Dave Grohl in 2017 though, for Cumberland Gap, with a second place finish for the riff that ends Anxiety. : )
June 12, 2017 @ 6:08 pm
Of course, ASGTE just won a country Grammy! They clearly aren’t purists, over there.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:15 pm
Sturgill’s body of solo work in general, and ASGTE in particular, are way more country than any of Isbell’s albums, and certainly his latest effort. A concept album that pushes the boundaries by a damn good, established country artist that might not be quite as pure traditional country in some ways as his prior work, is still properly classified as country when it comes to award show categories. The category is there to honor the best county artist of the year and their work….not to recognize who put out the most narrowly defined classic country record. Again, saying something is or isn’t country doesn’t say anything about the quality of the music. But, on a side note, I have always found it odd that people continue to view isbell as a country artist when nothing he has ever put out is particularly country. I really think it is driven by media coverage and how he has been written about. I don’t always listen to country, but when I am in the mood, I will listen to Sturgill (how about Sea Stories for a damn good country song) or 100 other artists before isbell will even cross my mind. Now, when I’m in the mood for something more mellow and calm and singer / songwriter – ish and Indy rock-ish, isbell fits the bill.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:19 am
“Anxiety” is a superb song.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:30 am
Hmm, I don’t quite know if I’d go with a banner year, but yes, this is certainly a stronger year than 2016. I agree with that. You know, maybe that’s just me being unfair because in 2017, we’ve had A LOT of great albums, but at the same time there still just isn’t that one that’s really clicking with me the way that an album of the year would. Granted, I only get one or two of those a year if I’m lucky, and we still got six months to go.
Anyway, out of your picks, I think Zephaniah’s was a “good” album, but his voice is too generic for me to say I loved the material (and the writing isn’t always there for me). Jaime is another good one, but it’s too short, and that’s my problem with EP’s – I’m rarely if ever fully satisfied. I can agree on Marty – that album is one of the top ones for me so far this year. Oh look! I can also agree on Sunny. It might not be breaking any new ground, but it’s just such an enjoyable, consistent listen for me. I think Jason Eady is another great one, although I’m biased towards ‘Daylight and Dark’. That one had a great thematic arc to it where this one…well it is solid and certainly has some standouts, but again, it’s another one that’s just not quite at that pinnacle of excellence for me. I haven’t heard Joseph Huber so I won’t comment. John Moreland – ugh, I like this, really I do. But I love the sadder stuff more, and that ain’t John’s fault, it’s mine. Colter Wall’s is great too but for fuck’s sake, why does every Americana album lately feel like it’s missing some energy? I liked Willie’s but I respect it more than I like it. Dalton’s record is one I can get behind. Some songs feel lazy (“More Than You”), but it’s incredibly adventuresome, and while we shouldn’t just reward experimentation, there’s a lot of moments that do work here IMO. I couldn’t get into the Brother Brothers but that’s just me. Shinyribs is also good but there’s a few weaker moments in the middle that bring it down for me.
Anyway, sorry for picking apart your list 🙂 I just love this time of year.
I’d say my top five *at the moment* are Sunny, Marty, Jason, The Steel Woods, and….hmm….I suppose Dalton.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:59 am
The Steel Woods are amazing.
June 12, 2017 @ 1:58 pm
This seems so incredibly nitpicky, it’s a wonder any release impresses you. I guess I get though, the bar has been set pretty high the past few years.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
Nitpicky huh? You know what? I’m glad you said that. I enjoy being nitpicky. Honest criticism is a dying art form, and that’s why I thankful for folks like Trigger.
And where did I say I wasn’t impressed with any music this year? I’ve found a lot to like and love – I only said I was hoping for just one to really blow me out of the water. I love most of the albums Trigger mentioned as well.
If you need another example, look how many people chewed out Trigger’s for nitpicking the Colter Wall album. And look what album made the top 12?
I’m all for celebration, but let’s stop pretending that criticism is a form of bullying or that it means you “hate” something. Independent country fans are even worse than mainstream ones in terms of accepting that.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:31 am
Just wanna put Jim Keaveny’s new album “Put It Together” on your radar.
June 14, 2017 @ 12:01 pm
YES!!!!!
June 12, 2017 @ 8:31 am
Incredible to think that with all of these and so many many more options available to us , people still listen to and actually spend $$$ for the nursery rhymes mainstream country peddles . All the ‘ pretty people ‘ in the mainstream pop/country music’ biz combined couldn’t put out an album of material as sincere and honest as just about anyone noted on your lists above Trigger .But again , and as I’ve opined so often here , pop culture in general has become sooooo dumbed down and vacuous that countless more redeeming , smart and sincere options were bound to arise . The good news is that these worthwhile options continue to present themselves and there is NO REASON for anyone to settle for mainstream fare unless they are simply too lazy , too uncaring or too ill-informed ..or perhaps just too young/immature …to do otherwise .
SCM and other concerned people and sites have an awful lot to do with exposing listeners to these other options and for that we should be and are thankful.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:35 am
Stapelton “From a room” is a gem in my opinion.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:48 pm
Agreed — I found it a solid collection of tunes, and it’s left me very excited for the next volume. 🙂
In addition, I thought Valerie June’s ‘The Order of Time’ and Rhiannon Giddens’ ‘Freedom Highway’ were lovely pieces of work; Angaleena Presley’s ‘Wrangled’ was quite enjoyable; and I liked what I heard from the Natalie Hemby, Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, and Rodney Crowell albums. (I’ve been meaning to check out Liz Rose and Zachariah Ohora, as well.)
Not mentioned, but I also enjoyed Hurray For the Riff Raff’s ‘The Navigator’ and the Mavericks’ ‘Brand New Day.’ 🙂
June 12, 2017 @ 5:41 pm
* Zephaniah (not Zachariah — sorry)…
Also, somebody below mentioned Alison Krauss’ ‘Windy City’ — I still don’t have that one, but I’ve heard it and I thought it was pretty decent.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:29 pm
Honestly, Windy city is one of the sleepiest albums I’ve heard this year. It’s not that it’s not good in a technical sense, in fact it’s beautiful, her voice is beautiful, it just really bored me. But that’s me.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:46 am
You should review The Easy Leaves’ EP “The Wheels.” I think you’d dig it.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:06 am
Just saw and photographed The Easy Leaves last week. Wow! Live, they are better than those 2 new Eps. Basically, they are California guys highly inspired by Bakersfield sound and Gram Parsons with a little Dylan for good measure. Lots of pedal steel, telecaster and fiddle in the live show. Several original truck driving songs to boot.They are my new favorite band! I hope they release a full album of this sound. Their last two full length albums were a bit different in style.Hopefully this new sound will be permanent for them. Go see em! You will thank me!
June 15, 2017 @ 9:29 pm
Thanks for the recommendation! I just listened to the EP twice and I’m hooked!
June 12, 2017 @ 9:00 am
So Rhiannon Giddens isn’t even on your radar anymore?
June 12, 2017 @ 9:22 am
She should be up there. There are lots of albums. LOTS. Just because someone is not named here doesn’t mean they won’t receive a review, or be considered for top billing at the end of the year.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:00 am
not to nitpick but I would add Old Crow Medicine Show’s latest tribute album to Bob Dylan to the list. Maybe because it’s a tribute album as to why it is not shown.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:06 am
Jason Eady my favorite so far.
June 12, 2017 @ 9:10 am
I would add Courtney and Jason’s duet album!
June 12, 2017 @ 9:15 am
Good list! Marty’s is my favorite of the year so far. The songwriting from Joseph Huber is fantastic and makes his album one of my favorites as well. I think Chris Shiflett’s West Coast Town is worth a look. It’s one of my favorites of the year. A solid, modern take on the Bakersfield sound.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Really surprised that the Sarah Shook album not mentioned anywhere.
One of my favorites.
June 12, 2017 @ 1:08 pm
Isn’t that a re-release? Seems like I read that here?
June 12, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
Sorry, just saw Trigg’s reply below!
June 12, 2017 @ 10:15 am
My 2017 favorites so far
1. John Moreland
2. Zephaniah Ohora
3. Valerie June
4. Justin Townes Earle
5. Joseph Huber
6. Jason Eady
7. Shinyribs
8. Ags Connelly
9. AJ Hobbs
10. Whitney Rose
11. The Steel Woods
12. Colter Wall
13. Blackfoot Gypsies
June 12, 2017 @ 10:18 am
Stringbuzz beat me to it, the Sarah Shook album is fantastic.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:37 am
Sarah Shook was an oversight. I just added a mention for her. The problem is that album was originally released in 2015, and I reviewed, put it on my “Essential Albums” list at the end of the year, the whole bit. But as a re-release, it is fair to reinsert it into the 2017 conversation as well. It’s new to most people after being bolstered by Bloodshot.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:35 am
The Sarah Shook album was originally released in 2015. It was a Saving Country Music’s 50 Essential Albums for 2015. I agree a great album.
June 12, 2017 @ 11:48 am
Dalton Domino album has too much synthpop and shit on it to be country.
The Steel Woods album is my album of the year right now. It’s so good cover to cover, with the lone exception being hole in the sky (Pantera did it better).
June 12, 2017 @ 1:12 pm
Yep, that Steel Woods album is pretty damn good. Song you mentioned is the weakest cut, the rest are great. Straw in the Wind, and Uncle Lloyd are standout cuts. Well, crap, so are the rest, I guess. Strong effort by the band.
June 12, 2017 @ 12:32 pm
For me: Moreland, Crowell, Angeleena, Old 97’s, Son Volt. I bought a few of the others mentioned too, but these five are the ones I play the most.
June 12, 2017 @ 1:47 pm
That Old 97’s album was absolutely fantastic! Didn’t expect it would be included here for obvious reasons, but my overall favorite for the year so far
June 12, 2017 @ 1:01 pm
Dailey & Vincent ” Poets and Patriots” would be a worthy addition (I think).
June 12, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
I’m off site so I can’t get into it too much, but this has been a terrible 1/2 year for music (IMO). My AOTY to date, isn’t even country – Black Joe Lewis.
Where are all the women? I’m done blaming Nashville. You listed 2. Sunny’s voice gets on my nerves and Wyatt’s album is good, but not great.
Where are all the new artists? Colter has been getting some traction and his album is excellent, but this year has been marked by the lack of new talent.
And disappointment… I love Willie, but that album is an unfocused mess. I don’t give out legend bonus points. Stapleton was a letdown. Even Marty Stuart I’ve cooled off on lately.
Idk. If you make me pick an album of the year at the halfway mark, it would be Moreland. But I’m praying that’s a top ten in 6 mos not a #1.
Good news? Help may be on the way – Isbell and Earle.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:09 pm
I agree it’s a shame there aren’t more women in the Top 12, but I am not going to unnecessarily prop up certain projects just to put more women at the top. That’s not my version of equality. I will say I think folks will be surprised how many women will be in the “Best Songs So Far” running.
As for newer artists, I think there’s quite a few. Zephanaiah OHora, Jaime Wyatt (though maybe not for you), Dalton Domino is just getting started, Brother Brothers are brand new, AJ Hobbs, Kody West. I think there’s a lot of new names.
But you know, this is all based off of taste.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:21 pm
Oh, God! You do more for women in music than any journalist in the business. I wasn’t slighting you for only having 2 women in your top 12 – there weren’t that many options. I feel the women in the business aren’t helping themselves and are now leaning on the excuse that it’s systematic issue, not a creative problem (but that’s another topic for another time).
Ohora and Brother Brothers are on my list to check out.
June 13, 2017 @ 8:58 am
Seriously, Trig does more for the tomato industry than Hunts & Heinz combined.
*duck*.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:11 pm
All solid choices, but people seem to forget about Andrew Pope’s Stoned On The One, probably because it was released the same day as Stapleton’s new album. Its all I have played since it came out last month. Pope wrote or co-wrote all the songs and produced it as well. Definitely one of the “good guys” in Country/Americana.
June 12, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
Agreed, told Trig about Pope, good Bama guy making really good music. Paul Nipper is a former Bama guy too with a great record out.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:11 pm
It’s the veterans mostly that have done it for me so far.
Top 5
1.Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
2.Willie Nelson -Gods Problem Child
3.Marty Stuart -Way Out West
4.Old Crow Medicine Show -50 Yrs of Blonde on BLondon
5.Angaleena Presley-Wrangled
June 12, 2017 @ 2:13 pm
When I started doing a country radio show about 4-5 years ago, I wasn’t up on all the artists, so at first played mainly my fave artists, such as Rodney Crowell, Waylon, Emmylou etc, but after looking around, I realise there is so much great country music being produced these days.
My favourite album of the year so far has to be Jason Eady, Last year it was Jamie Lin Wilson, but there are so many real country artists that I love, I think we are in a great period.
Just ignore the pop crap coming out of Nashville.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:17 pm
I feel strongly that Angaleena Presley’s “Wrangled” should have been included as one of the best albums of the year so far.
The songwriting is exceptional, it takes chances, and it sends a powerful message.
Plus: It’s simply a bad-ass record that needs to be heard by as many people as possible. Nice that it’s noted, though. Thanks for all you do for country music, sir.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:24 pm
Nice to see Pokey as a mention. I also love. Black Joe Lewis, probably one of my top 5 bands in Austin. They’re not country, but totally badass. And lots of horns 🙂
June 12, 2017 @ 2:35 pm
My List:
Adam Harvey & Beccy Cole – The Great Country Songbook Vol.II
Liam Kennedy-Clark & Cassi Hilbers – Duo
Ashleigh Dallas – Lighthouse
Tania Kernaghan – All Australian Girl
Paul Costa – Whisper In The Crowd
Aleyce Simmonds – More Than Meets The Eye
Jeannie Seely – Written In Song
Richard Lynch – Mending Fences
Six Sanchez – Till The Last Ones Gone
Doc Walker – Weathervane
Big fan of australian country music here (Harvey/Cole to Simmonds).
Surprise of the year (so far) the Doc Walker album (canadian act).
Waiting for:
Rhonda Vincent & Daryle Singletary – American Grandstand
Loretta Lynn – Wouldn’t It Be Great
John Wolfe – Any Night In Texas
Kirk Baxley – The Pain We Bring
June 13, 2017 @ 7:31 am
Props on the Doc Walker love. Always been a fan of theirs, and the latest album is one of their best.
June 13, 2017 @ 8:43 pm
It’s interesting to see Doc Walker here. Outside of a song or two, I’ve never really liked much of their stuff. I’ve found them to be just kind of mediocre and not very memorable. That being said, I haven’t heard anything from them in years so I’ll have to give this a try.
June 12, 2017 @ 2:37 pm
Great to see Trixie Mattel listed in the “On the radar…” section. She’s definitely not your typical or expected Country/Folk artist, but honestly blows most modern day artists out of the water in terms of songwriting, composition, and overall sound. I highly suggest to give Two Birds a listen.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:41 pm
Two names thought you might want to give a listen..Frank Foster and Cody Jinks….
June 12, 2017 @ 9:54 pm
Did jinks put a secret album out in 2017 that nobody knows about?
June 12, 2017 @ 3:49 pm
Nikki Lane – Highway Queen should come next
June 12, 2017 @ 3:57 pm
The Mavericks have a new one as well. I really enjoy it.
June 12, 2017 @ 3:59 pm
Lillie Mae!
June 12, 2017 @ 4:07 pm
The new Alison Krauss is the one I’ve enjoyed most this year. Although it’s a covers album many of the songs on it were new to me and even the ones that were familiar felt fresh the way she did them.
June 12, 2017 @ 5:35 pm
Ooh! Good one… 🙂
June 12, 2017 @ 4:23 pm
Top 5 So Far…
1. John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
2. Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
3. Colter Wall – Colter Wall
4. Jason Eady – Jason Eady
5. Chris Stapleton – From A Room Vol. 1
June 12, 2017 @ 4:57 pm
Is there a Spotify playlist in the works?
June 12, 2017 @ 5:11 pm
Where the fuck is Sam Hunt? Unbelievable….
June 12, 2017 @ 5:22 pm
Listed alphabetically by artist, these are my favorite 10 across all genres but jazz. It has been another strong year for women. Lauderdale’s “soul” album will be out in the U.S. at month’s end, but has been available as an import for a while. Of the 29 he has released, I have this one in the top five.
Close Ties – Rodney Crowell
Highway Queen – Nikki Lane
London Southern – Jim Lauderdale
Mental Illness – Aimee Mann
Black Irish – Shannon McNally
Big Bad Luv – John Moreland
Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins – Chuck Prophet
Hustle Up Starlings – Matthew Ryan
Shades & Roses – Caroline Spence
Trophy – Sunny Sweeney
June 12, 2017 @ 6:40 pm
I love Marty Stuart’s Way Out West and seeing him live on tour was incredible so I had made up my mind for Best of 2017 already. But along came the new Zephaniah Ohora last week and Colter Wall’s album hit my turntable. I am very enthused that we are seeing experieced country artists like Marty and Willie doing some of their best work ever while new talent is also making some great music. Good times…
June 12, 2017 @ 6:43 pm
Reading other comments, how could I forgotten the Nikki Lane Highway Queen and Lillie Mae albums? Great in concert as well.
June 12, 2017 @ 7:15 pm
Thank you Trigger and Saving Country Music. I am humbled and honored to be included on your list of these other great singers, songwriters and entertainers…. .peace to you and all of your followers. #realcountryandproud
Pete
June 13, 2017 @ 5:31 am
I’m listening to some samples on our website now, Pete. Digging what I’m hearing, Brother! Will be placing an order tonight. Gotta check your tour schedule, see if you come close to central Illinois. Really enjoying your tunes!
June 13, 2017 @ 5:53 am
Thank you Scott, we tour a fair amount, look forward to meeting you someday!
Pete
June 12, 2017 @ 7:20 pm
Relapse from James Carothers is awesome.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:10 pm
That’s the dude on the sidebar on this site forever. I see him (the album cover) and often wonder why Trig put him there, yet never wrote an article about him. It’s like he lost a bet or something.
June 12, 2017 @ 10:19 pm
Those images in the sidebar are ads that I offer for cheap to independent artists or small labels who can’t afford a big ad campaign through Google or someone else but still want to get their name out there. The James Carothers album is a good one and I may review it in the future. The guy is a mainstay at the George Jones museum in Nashville and has a great voice. He’s worth checking out.
June 12, 2017 @ 7:57 pm
Y’all sleeping on Jonny Burke. Give it a listen, then ask yourself why it’s not mentioned on this post.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCiGjKD2ZQ3-1vgOmj7n1Ubg
June 12, 2017 @ 8:07 pm
Greg Graffin’s Millport is my fave so far. Really like Dead Soldiers, Aliison Krauss, Bob Wayne, nd Zachariah Ohara.
June 13, 2017 @ 10:56 am
LOVE the Dead Soldiers shout out! They’re some great people making great music here in Memphis. And if you ever get a chance to see them live, you must. Also, check out The Hooten Hallers out of Columbia, MO. Another great band somewhat similar to Dead Soldiers. They have a great new album out this year as well (Self-Titled).
Cheers!
June 13, 2017 @ 5:50 pm
Im in Natchez, Ms. Seen them in Hattiesburg, Memphis, and Muddy Roots. Fantastic band.
June 12, 2017 @ 8:14 pm
Thanks for the list, Trigger. Having been a regular visitor to your site for only about 5 to 6 months, it is quite a thrill to find that I have two of the albums in the list (Dalton Domino and Marty Stuart). Absolutely brilliant, both of those records! I am also pursuing an interest in Z. Ohora’s album but i-Tunes isn’t listing it at this juncture. Reckon I might go back and have a listen to some of the others in your list. A few of the names brought up by contributors here sound worth a listen too.
June 13, 2017 @ 1:00 pm
I couldn’t find it by search whole name. I found the album on Apple Play by searching just first name I think. I did find it
June 13, 2017 @ 5:01 am
Colter’s self-titled takes the top spot for me, but the other contenders are no slouches either. As far as those reviews still on the radar Nikki Lane didn’t disappoint, but Andrew Combs surprisingly did. It feels like some in east Nashville are jumping the country ship for more tepid Americana waters. All These Dreams was the start of Andrew’s shift, but still very traditional in instrumentation. Canyons of My Mind suffers too much from experimenting with a new sound and direction. The song closest to his Tennessee Time and Worried Man days is his great cut with Caitlin Rose on What It Means To You.
June 13, 2017 @ 7:14 am
Jarrod Birmingham needs a look. A top 3 album so far this year for me. Good list, I found a lot of music I like thanks to these reviews.
June 13, 2017 @ 10:25 am
Vinny says Sunny Sweeney for the win and no to Shinyribs and Dalton Domino.
June 13, 2017 @ 4:40 pm
I’ll say this much. Sunny Sweeney and Shinyribs were both so nice when I met them. I know that has nothing at all to do with the music, but it definitely makes me want to root for them.
June 13, 2017 @ 12:53 pm
Colter Wall, Willie Nelson, Nikki Lane, and the Secret Sisters did not disappoint (Secret Sisters did however disappoint in concert, but album wise it’s great); however, I didn’t like Rhiannon Giddens’s latest efforts. It’s a little too much of a throwback to anti-slavery ballads and doesn’t sound good in a playlist with other country songs. I liked her EPs and her 2015 album a bit better.
June 13, 2017 @ 4:57 pm
I have nothing to add to this list except to say that I’ll be listening to all this music for days now. Thank you, this blog is just astonishing with all the incredible content you provide. I feel like I learn so much by reading it.
June 13, 2017 @ 7:01 pm
Lots of good stuff this year. Here are four Canadian releases I’ve really liked…
Kayla Howran – Spare Parts
Sarah Jane Scouten – When the Bloom Falls from the Rose
The Sadies – Northern Passages
Kayla Luky – Back to Dirt
Oh, and Colter Wall’s too, for sure.
June 13, 2017 @ 7:30 pm
Thank you for the mention, Trigger! Fingers crossed for a review in the future. Eddie Spaghetti produced an album for my Number 9 Blacktops back in 2011, but playing in the Franklin County Trucking Company with him is a blast, and we’re super proud of the new album!
June 13, 2017 @ 8:40 pm
My top 4 so far (in no particular order):
Sam Outlaw
Jason Eady
Sunny Sweeney
Jaime Wyatt
June 14, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
I am just coming to say ‘Codeine Dream’ is one of the best tunes ive heard in ages. Leroy caught the feeling of opiate addiction damn good in ‘Cold Dark Summer Day’ and this tune absolutely does too. Great tune. Only real standout for me but having family come from Saskatchewan and being from the Canadian prairies myself I am absolutely rooting for this guy 100%. Like it or not he has a voice something many talented singer-songwriters lack I think. Townes has supposedly inspired many singer-songwriters but Colter is the only one ive heard that actually sounds like it to a degree.
June 14, 2017 @ 9:30 pm
damn good list, Trigger. gonna see Sunny Sweeney live at a local BYOB venue tomorrow night. she asked me to bring her some extra brews and you can bet i’m gonna! ?
June 15, 2017 @ 4:35 am
I’ve probably listened to Sam Outlaw’s album more than any other this year. It just clicks with me. Jason Eady comes in a very close second. Definitely a good year for music.
June 15, 2017 @ 5:35 am
Thanks again for shining the spotlight on some great country music. My favorites so far this year are Moreland, Sam Outlaw, Marty Stuart, Stapleton, and Colter Wall. I’d love to hear what you think of Porter Union’s self-titled album, too. I recently heard them open at a Cody Jinks show, and I really enjoyed them. Thought their vocals were great, and loved the way their voices blended.
June 15, 2017 @ 8:56 am
Very much have enjoyed South Texas Suite by Whitney Rose. If anyone reading hasn’t listened definitely check it out. I love that classic sounding Texas stuff. Very excited to see what else she comes up with.
This article is a goldmine of good stuff
June 15, 2017 @ 9:23 am
My Top 10 for ’17 as of rn.
1) Michael Chapman – 50
2) Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – Way Out West
3) Otis Gibbs – Mount Renraw
4) Morgan Haner – Transmitter Blues
5) Rab Noakes – The Treatment Tapes
6) The Mastersons – Transient Lullaby
7) Justin Johnson – Drivin’ It Down
8) Lydia Ramsey – Bandita
9) Nikki Lane – Highway Queen
10) Toby Hay – The Gathering
Best Cover Album is either Old Crow Medicine Show – 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde or Alice Jayne – Inside The Cover.
Best Album Opener is “The Other End of Fck It” from Recitative by Robert Sarazin Blake, another excellant double album along with the Justin Johnson double album. No quite Country but close enough.
June 15, 2017 @ 3:43 pm
I vote for Glen Campbell’s “Adios.” Even suffering from alzheimer’s and unable to play guitar, his voice and delivery are stunning.
June 21, 2017 @ 7:49 pm
Happy to see you’re watching the Brazilian band Them Old Crap.