Album Review – Whitney Rose’s “Rosie”
“Rosie” marks perhaps Whitney Rose’s top contribution to traditional country music, and one that may go on to be considered one of the top releases in country music in 2023.
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Album Review – Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – “Altitude”
There’s nobody out there pushing the creativity of country music to the edges of human consciousness like Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are doing here, even among the gaggle of young bucks fresh and hungry to make their mark.
Kimberly Perry Comes Back to Life with “If I Die Young Pt. 2”
Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry is back, and it’s almost like she never left. The opening salvo of her solo career after splitting with her brothers is a reworking of the family band’s first #1 song.
Album Review – Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “bon aqua”
Unique, edgy, and original, with a visual component to his music via the moody and imaginative videos that accompany his releases, Stephen Wilson Jr. is like no other artist you’ve seen before.
Album Review – The Malpass Brothers – “Lonely Street”
As a true country music fan, you’re used to dealing in close approximations when seeking out modern musical choices. With The Malpass Brothers though, this isn’t necessary.
Album Review – Megan Moroney’s “Lucky”
It’s official, ladies and gentlemen. Country music has entered a new neotraditional age. There may be no better evidence than Megan Moroney’s “Lucky.”
Album Review – Slaid Cleaves – “Together Through The Dark”
‘Together Through The Dark’ is a tempered and thoughtful mid/late career effort by Cleaves that compliments his tranquil voice and calming disposition … until it isn’t, and the passion for imperative topics comes boiling up…
Song Review – The Turnpike Troubadours – “Mean Old Sun”
The first observation about “Mean Old Sun” is that it’s distinctly a Turnpike Troubadours song.
Album Review – Bella White’s “Among Other Things”
Every discussion about the music of Bella White invariably begins and ends with her highly affected, and highly affecting voice. All great music finds that balance between the familiar and the unexpected, and Bella’s unique phrasing brought to a yodel-like projection makes for a novel listening experience.
Album Review – Caitlyn Smith’s “High & Low”
If you’ve gotta listen to country pop though, make it Caitlyn Smith. Even before her debut album ‘Starfire’ was nominated for Saving Country Music’s Album of the Year in 2018, she was one of the few bright spots in the pop country space where you didn’t give a damn that she didn’t sound like traditional country.
Album Review- William Prince – “Stand in the Joy”
It is times like these when cooler heads and calming wisdom is what the world needs. In fractured and fevered moments, ratcheting down the rhetoric, centering the most important things in life, and working towards being the solution as opposed to the problem is the approach that you hope prevails.
Album Review – Shania Twain’s “Queen of Me”
The worst part about “Queen of Me” is not just that it’s a big miss for whatever Shania Twain was going for. It’s that it’s also a missed opportunity for her to ride the wave of resurgent interest in 90s country to do something that could actually represent legacy women in country music well.
Album Review – Robbie Fulks – “Bluegrass Vacation”
Despite his punk country popularity, Fulks actually started out as a folk and bluegrass musician who was raised in the Blue Ridge of Virginia and the Piedmont of North Carolina. And after performing in the club scene in Greenwich Village and attending Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk, joined Special Consensus.
Album Review – Josie Toney’s “Extra”
Extra is everything you were hoping Josie Toney’s debut album would be. When she sings, Toney evokes the ghosts of the classic country era by mixing old-school country with old-school blues indicative at times of Hank One. You may think of her as an instrumentalist first, but the album showcases…
Turnpike Troubadours Fans, Get Lance Roark on Your Radar
RC Edwards stumbled upon Lance Roark in 2020 during the Turnpike hiatus/pandemic when he was looking for a lead guitar player. Roark fit the bill, but has subsequently slid even deeper into the Turnpike universe while finding a way to showcase his own music at the same time.
Album Review – Willie Nelson’s “I Don’t Know a Thing About Love”
Willie Nelson will turn 90 on April 29th, and has shown no signs of slowing down, either on the road, or in the studio. His last album called “A Beautiful Time” was released last year on his birthday and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and earned it entirely on the merit of the music.
Album Review – Dillon Massengale’s “Buckleshines”
In many respects it feels like a victory and cause for celebration any time a truly traditional country record is released. Making country music the right way requires such an uphill battle in today’s country landscape. When it comes to Dillon Massengale though, that’s just where the victories begin.
Album Review – Luke Combs – “Growin’ Old”
Luke Combs may be the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, but you get the distinct impression that he’s barely aware of it. There’s no cocksure attitude as he stands up there on stage in his Bass Pro fishing shirt with the flap across the back. He’s just a grown up pudgy choir kid from North Carolina.
Album Review – Chancey Williams – “One of These Days”
If we could wave a magic wand and instantly remake mainstream country music into something much better than what it is today, Chancey Williams and “One of These Days” would not be a bad wish at all. It’s country with steel guitar and fiddle. It’s cool. It’s catchy and hooky, but the songs still say something.
Album Review – Matt Hillyer’s “Glorieta”
Austin has 6th Street, but Dallas has Deep Ellum. Houston has the massive Rodeo Houston, but Dallas has the State Fair of Texas. Lubbock has The Flatlanders and Flatland Cavalry, but Dallas has Joshua Ray Walker, The Vandoliers, and Matt Hillyer. It’s easy to overlook the Dallas influence on Texas music…
Review – Them Dirty Roses – “Lost in the Valley of Hate & Love Vol. 1”
As if the the Gods of Southern rock came down from the Heavens to smite a new band out of the hard Alabama iron, these dirty and sweaty mothers from Gadsden, Alabama can grow hair on your chest just from listening to them. Them Dirty Roses can deflower virgins simply by them being in the audience.
Album Review – Sam Munsick’s “Johnny Faraway”
Sam Munsick’s specialty is songwriting, and that comes into sharp focus on Johnny Faraway. With nine original Western songs all solely written by Sam, the album is a spirited entry into the Western music canon, studied and reverent to the songwriting modes of authentic Western music.
Album Review – Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing At A Time”
Love him, hate him, find yourself among the population of the very few who feel indifferent about him, Morgan Wallen is the biggest thing in mainstream country, and at this point, by such multiples of scale, it truly is difficult to comprehend. We’re talking Garth-level, generational, genre-defying popularity.
Album Review – The War and Treaty’s “Lover’s Game”
There is no shortage of artists who don’t fit snugly or at all into the otherwise big tent of the country music genre who are clamoring to get in, and for a host of reasons. It’s often because in the pop or hip-hop worlds, these performers would be small fish in a big sea, yet […]