The Best Mainstream Country Albums of 2023

Saving Country Music spends the vast majority of the time focusing on artists and bands that get overlooked and under-appreciated in popular country music. But that doesn’t mean that mainstream country is entirely terrible. Even if 90% of mainstream country is bad, it stands to reason that 10% of it must be alright. And since it’s important to remain objective and attempt to save country music in the mainstream as well, it’s worth highlighting some of the best mainstream stuff in 2023.
Similar to what we’ve seen over the last few years, mainstream country continues to improve with better songs, better albums, and more country-sounding material. There are most certainly exceptions. But the farther we get from the Bro-Country era, the more country sounds country again.
It’s also getting more difficult to know what to label “mainstream,” and what to label “independent.” Now that you have major labels signing otherwise independent artists left and right, and artists like Zach Bryan and Oliver Anthony dominating the charts, the lines are blurring like never before. This is a good dilemma to face, but overall, independent vs. mainstream is still very much defined on who receives corporate radio play, and who doesn’t.
13. Riley Green – Ain’t My Last Rodeo

To Riley Green fans, he’s the real deal in country music, and nowhere near those mainstream pop country lightweights like Dan + Shay or Parmalee. Riley Green is an actual country music star singing actual By God country music songs. And when bringing an honest assessment to the musical accompaniment and lyrical content of his songs, that judgement is generally fair. There’s ample steel guitar, some fiddle too, and the tracks definitely touch on rural themes.
But just because something is real country doesn’t always mean that it’s real good. Riley Green might be more country than most of what you hear in the mainstream. But when listening through his second full-length album Ain’t My Last Rodeo, you also most definitely hear the mainstream in his country. (read review)
12. Elle King – Come Get Your Wife

Well now. Comedian Rob Schneider’s daughter has hauled off and made herself a country record. And just like Elle King herself, it’s a little much and all over the place. That’s not to say there isn’t any entertainment value to be had. On the contrary. Elle King turns in some real quality songs at times. And even when the album train wrecks, a train wreck can be entertaining all unto itself, especially when that train wreck is conducted by Elle King.
Getting your hands around this album is like chasing down a wet bar of soap. If you’re a mainstream country fan, this may be one of the better albums you’ll hear all year, but perhaps too twangy and rootsy for you. If you’re an independent country music fan, this thing is like walking through a mine field to find the good stuff, but the good stuff is still there and worth seeking out. (read review)
11. Luke Combs – Gettin’ Old

Luke Combs could be edgier or more traditional country, but that’s not him. He’s not the troubled soul waking up in a pool of his own filth, and then pouring his soul into heart-wrenching songs. He’s not some throwback hipster evoking 60s country styles in a vintage tweed suit, or a redneck twanger in black leather slinging a hot Telecaster, or an Appalachian hilljack braying about coal and cocaine. The appeal of Luke Combs is that he’s just a Joe up there singing easily relatable and likable songs about his life that also mirror the lives of many in his audience.
It was Luke Combs himself that after he won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award last November, stood at the podium and said, “This is my 5th or 6th year being at this awards show, and country sounded more country than it has in a long time, and I think we all wanted that.”
There is no doubt that with Luke Combs at the apex of the country genre, mainstream country music is “more country” than it’s been in a decade. It still may not be your ideal, or what you think country should be. But it’s honest, grounded, and at times, pretty good. (read review)
10. Dierks Bentley – Gravel & Gold

As good as Dierks Bentley can be, and as better as he is compared to some of his peers in the mainstream, you always seem to want a bit more from him. Though he can have the freedom to noodle around and stretch the boundaries a bit more than some or most, he’s always mindful that the coliseum on the edge of Tupelo still needs to be filled, and that home in Telluride needs a kitchen remodel.
It’s a push and pull with Dierks Bentley, and you see that play out in the songs of Gravel & Gold. He gets moments to do what he wants to do, but also does what he needs to sustain Dierks Inc. But since he’s such a universally-beloved guy, he’s in a position where when he dabbles with bluegrass and a little bit of traditional country, it actually makes a difference to the flavor profile of country, because people are actually listening, and many of those people are in the mainstream. (read review)
9. Chase Rice – I Hate Cowboys and All Dogs Go To Hell

Is country music truly experiencing a transformational moment? Is this moment really touching most every sector of country, including some of the most corrupted corners of the mainstream? If this new selection from Chase Rice is any sort of bellwether, then the answer would be in the affirmative. Is it “good”? Of course, that question is subjective. Is it an improvement from what we’ve come to expect from this specific artist? Absolutely. Does this symbolize a broadening and entrenching of positive trends in country music including better quality and more country-sounding songs? Yes it does.
“Cruise” was released over 10 years ago. Chase Rice has grown up, so has his fans, and so has popular country music. It’s the folks trying to act perpetually 22 that are the problem. Chase Rice and this album are far from that. It’s a maturing, and a testament to the truth that you can always grow and challenge yourself, not matter where you started from. (read review)
8. Ernest – Flower Shops (The Album): Two Dozen Roses

In 2022, Ernest released Flower Shops (The Album) after stunning a lot of folks with the fiercely traditional song “Flower Shops” featuring Morgan Wallen. It was one of the most traditional country-sounding songs released to mainstream country radio in years. However, Flower Shops (The Album) was very much hit and miss, consisting for a mix of a few traditional leaning tracks, along with a lot of mainstream -facing pop country that many traditional country fans wouldn’t be caught dead listening to.
This deluxe edition includes those disappointing songs as well, but what Ernest bolsters the revised version with is more songs in the vein of “Flower Shops.” It appears that Ernest’s hip-hop and pop-infused versions of country are fading into the past for more country-sounding country songs. There is still a long way to go, but similar to the trends affecting mainstream country music overall, Ernest is definitely headed in the right direction.
7. Parker McCollum – Never Enough

Parker roped in a lot of the right people to help make the new album Never Enough something that was more than enough for his fans. Co-writers include fellow Texas country headliners Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, critically-acclaimed stalwarts Lori McKenna and Liz Rose, and Hillary Lindsey even joins in on a song for an official appearance of the famous “Love Junkies” songwriter troika. Jon Randall also shares a few co-writes to go along with his producer credit for the album.
Parker McCollum at his best knows how to create momentum in a song like few others, and conjoin it with an enveloping melody. This is what his early hits like “I Can’t Breathe” and “Hell of a Year” did perfectly. It’s also what was lacking to an extent from his last album Gold Chain Cowboy. Here Parker McCollum finds that magic again on numerous occasions. “Stoned” isn’t especially well-written or novel, but it’s what McCollum does with it that makes it moving and anthemic by the end. He does this again on the song “Wheel.” (read review)
6. Chris Stapleton – Higher
Chris Stapleton will be a Country Music Hall of Famer someday. And with the release of his latest album Higher, he ensures that he will help define at least a decade of the country music genre, even if his music isn’t especially “country.” As one of the most ubiquitous, well-recognized, and universally-beloved (or tolerable) performers and songwriters of our time, Stapleton’s legacy is secured and cemented.
It’s not exactly country, but it’s not really more at home in any other genre either. It may not be the music that most defines your life, but it’s music you don’t mind moving in and out of it. It’s Chris Stapleton, which means always on brand, always enjoyable, even if rarely exceptional. This is what you can expect from Higher. (read review)
5. Caitlyn Smith – High & Low
If you’ve gotta listen to country pop, 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 given the strength of her songwriting, and the power, range, and sweetness behind her voice.
Caitlyn Smith just can do things with her voice others can’t. It’s not just the range, but the textures, volumes, dynamics, and moods she’s able to utilize. She even knows how to use breath and pauses to her advantage. And most importantly, Caitlyn has the boldness and confidence to go where some other singers could go, but are too scared to.
Perhaps Caitlyn Smith is just too damn good to be a superstar. She also might be too centered and grounded to be one either. She’s not the kind of narcissist you need to be in the mainstream country business to succeed at the highest reaches. She just wants to write songs and sing them. (read review)
4. Megan Moroney – Lucky
It’s official, ladies and gentlemen. Country music has entered a new neotraditional age. Not dissimilar to when George Strait and Randy Travis showed up on the scene in the 80s and swayed everything in the direction of more country-sounding tunes, we’re seeing large swaths of mainstream country re-adopt country sounds and country sentiments in popular music.
There may be no better evidence for this than the debut album Lucky from Savannah, Georgia-native Megan Moroney. No, it’s not because Moroney is making straight-down-the-middle traditional country. The reason it’s significant is because she’s a major label-signed 25-year-old pop country starlet fresh into Nashville whose music happens to be slathered with steel guitar, steeping in classic country lore, and dare we say superbly written when it comes to a good handful of songs. (read more)
3. Emily Ann Roberts – Can’t Hide Country
The younger, more blonde, and more bombshell that a woman is in country music, the more pop their country music leans. This is the unfortunate stereotype that country music fans have been conditioned to believe over the last 15 years or so. But Emily Ann Roberts is here to dispel that misconception with her debut album Can’t Hide Country.
No, this is not a super traditional record. It’s not full of Western Swing reels or sad bastard drinking songs. It’s representative and autobiographical of a young woman in the Southern United States (Knoxville, specifically) telling stories of the hopes, joys, and tribulations of her life. But it’s undoubtedly country, heartfelt, and delightfully simple and true. In an ideal world, this would be what popular country sounds like. (read review)
2. Ashley McBryde – The Devil I Know
How blessed we are to have a woman at the top of mainstream country who is so discriminating when it comes to songwriting. When Ashley McBryde looks up the food chain, she doesn’t see arena stars like Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean, she sees songwriters like Lori McKenna and Hank Cochran. Her goal may still be to play to arenas full of adoring fans and to entertain them. But she wants to do so with songs that actually mean something.
There may not be any $700 words or riddles to unwind, but Ashley McBryde’s “Learned To Lie” co-written with Nicolette Hayford and Sean McConnell is a killer testament to the kind of songs McBryde writes and champions. They’re songs that make you realize things about yourself you may have never reflected on before, including sometimes things that are scary and dark, but are worth bringing out of the shadows to expose and reflect upon. (read review)
1. Cody Johnson – Leather
On his third album for Warner Music Nashville, Cody doubles down on his country roots, strengthens his commitment to quality songs, and even refines his sound with surprising sparsity and depth to the point where you’re nearly stunned at some of the results. Yes this is a big mainstream country release, but many of these songs cut you like the songs of your favorite singer/songwriters.
Leather is a great mix of boisterous tracks to seed his live shows with energetic moments such as the super country “That’s Texas” and the arena pleaser “People in the Back,” interspersed with cutting heartbreak songs like the well-written “Watching My Old Flame,” or the introspective “Whiskey Bent.” “The Painter,” “Leather,” “Make Me a Mop” all show surprising depth even for Cody, and incredible restraint in how they’re rendered.
Cody doesn’t get enough credit for being on the cutting edge of helping to push the mainstream in a positive direction. But it is due to his success with country-sounding songs that other major label stars have been allowed to cut them as well. Now that everyone’s leaning more country, Cody Johnson has to lean country even more. That’s not a bad thing. (read review)
December 11, 2023 @ 11:40 am
Would you consider Jake Worthington mainstream? If so, he for sure belongs on this list.
December 11, 2023 @ 12:02 pm
I would not. He is on Big Loud, but so is Charles Wesley Godwin. As I said in the intro, what is “mainstream” is getting harder and to define with so many big labels signing independent artists. But I don’t see Jake Worthington being supported by things like commercial radio or the CMA Awards. Hopefully he will be in the future.
December 11, 2023 @ 12:19 pm
My (non-Texas) local radio stations play most of the artists on this list all the time (Emily Ann Roberts and Caitlyn Smith being the main exceptions, and Ernest and Elle King restricted to their one big single).
I can’t imagine them ever playing Jake Worthington. So in that sense he’s not yet mainstream.
December 11, 2023 @ 8:11 pm
Jake is an awesome straight down the middle style country artist, but in no way is he corporate “country” bullshit. My man has talent. Dig on that. Respect!
December 11, 2023 @ 12:09 pm
Top 5 from your list
1.) Emily Ann Roberts- Great 2000’s Neo-Country Pop and she has great charisma and in a just world would be all over the radio. Favorite “Out of Sight”
2.) Caitlin Smith-She should be a huge star country or pop. Either way she’s underrated and a great songwriter. Favorite:”The Great Pretender”
3.) Dierks Bentley- Easily Dierk’s best album in over a decade. “Sun Set’s in Colorado”
4.) Ernest- While I think it’s wierd that he didn’t just release this as a stand alone album, I thought this a great pop country and “Burn Out” has not left my head since release.
5.) Luke Combs- This is a step in the right direction for Luke and while I would’ve cut some songs here and there thought it was a pretty good album. Favorite Song: “The Beer, The Band and the Barstool”
If I had an additional vote grant it I kind of see it as a pop ep “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” but Kelsea Ballereni EP was great.
December 11, 2023 @ 12:10 pm
I am a mainstream guy so have been looking forward to this. My number one was Chase Rice, but Ashley McBryde and Elle King were very close behind.
December 11, 2023 @ 1:06 pm
1. Megan Moroney and 2. Luke Combs get my votes, but if I need to pick one, it’s Lucky. That album is more consistent than Gettin’ Old, has far less noticeable vocal tuning/Melodyne, and doesn’t overstay its welcome, but both are very enjoyable overall.
I also dig Emily Ann Roberts.
Cody, Dierks, and Ashley were fine but forgettable release for me.
December 11, 2023 @ 2:01 pm
Anyone see the new Spectrum Pulse video on the past 10 years in country music and bro country (don’t worry, it’s about a LOT more than bro country)
The title and a lot of the focus is on figuring out the effect of the bro country nonsense on … well, nearly everything.. but it was equally about the response to that trend. He devoted a big section on independent country, with stories about the effect on legacy artists, female artists, and how the industry justified itself with skewed data.
I think that video is going to bring some new people into exploring independent country, judging by the comments I’ve seen around the internet in response. He also mentions and quotes Saving Country Music, and is obviously a reader.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvRVUB1BBEA&t=6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvRVUB1BBEA&t=6s
December 11, 2023 @ 2:03 pm
Ashley over Cody for me. Thought Stapleton’s album was fairly weird. The most promising track, “White Horse,” was marred by constant moans of “I ain’t dead yet!” – which has to be on the Mount Rushmore of vapid country rallying cries.
December 11, 2023 @ 2:39 pm
He’s actually saying “I ain’t there yet” for whatever that’s worth.
December 11, 2023 @ 5:19 pm
Yeah, you are 100% right. Thanks for the correction.
December 11, 2023 @ 3:43 pm
Saw Ashley McBride sat night. She is a force. Seeing material live made me realize I don’t really like a lot of Jay Joyce productions. I believe this album would be more impactful with another producer. I’m still picking it here.
December 11, 2023 @ 6:47 pm
Going to see her Thursday. First time seeing her since she opened for Hank Jr. and Stapleton in 16.
January 9, 2024 @ 1:27 pm
Wish I could see her in SF. Unfortunately she playing in a SRO venue. I can’t stand that long and I’ll never be able to see anything (I’m 4’10’). Oh well. Heck I’d pay for livestream
December 11, 2023 @ 4:24 pm
Ashley is the best of the mainstream. Devil didn’t upend my all time favorite of hers being “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” but it is still a terrific record. I don’t listen to much mainstream at all. I like CoJo but I don’t seek out his music. Stapleton’s record is a bit soft in the middle. So based on what I do play, over and over, on this list it’s Ashley for me.
December 11, 2023 @ 5:07 pm
Justin Moore any day over some of these.
December 11, 2023 @ 9:14 pm
Justin and Miranda for me. Miranda meeds to get back to her sassy countey style.
December 11, 2023 @ 5:38 pm
Great list, as always. Looking at next year in the mainstream, I’m very curious about Gabby Barrett’s second album due in February. Her debut album was rather disappointing on the whole, but the three singles so far from the new album are great. Admittedly, I lean more mainstream, but she does seem to be doing more thoughtful country songs, similar to Scotty McCreery in the same mainstream space. And another parallel with Scotty is that both started making their best music after settling down, getting married, starting a family.
December 11, 2023 @ 5:52 pm
I don’t get Stapleton at all, and find his fans annoying. “Tennessee Whiskey” by him is a cure for insomnia.
December 13, 2023 @ 2:28 pm
I agree that it should be illegal to play his version of “Tennessee Whiskey,” but otherwise I enjoy Stapleton’s music. What do you not get/enjoy about him, or do you just think he’s overrated?
December 11, 2023 @ 6:05 pm
Larry Fleet released a 21-song album in September. Did anyone listen to it?
I gave it a casual listen when it came out, so not sure if it’s an honorable mention or should be on this list…
December 11, 2023 @ 6:14 pm
Larry Fleet is yet another Big Loud artists that certainly interfaces with the mainstream as a songwriter, but has never had a Top 40 hit on radio so it’s hard to consider him “mainstream.” It seems like Big Loud specializes in these kinds of performers.
December 12, 2023 @ 9:37 am
That makes sense. He played a slot at Country Jam a couple years ago so I just assumed he is ‘mainstream’. Maybe artists that are being pushed by big labels but haven’t had a Top 40 yet should be considered ‘minorstream’? I think Spotify puts most of these artists in their New Boots playlist.
December 11, 2023 @ 7:28 pm
That there’s such thing as good country pop is a hill I will gladly die on. It can be hard to find though so thank you for this list.
December 12, 2023 @ 2:20 am
…anything with a classic black and gold trans am on the cover should automatically be among the top three in any ranking. hence, elle king’s album ain’t correctly placed. just sayin’.
jake worthington’s self-titled album ought to be on that list – unless mark chesnutt is considered to be an indie icon nowadays.
December 12, 2023 @ 8:28 am
Mark Chesnutt had a string of hits on the radio. Jake Worthington has not. He doesn’t sound like a mainstream country artist, he’s not being considered for CMA Awards, and in some respects it would feel like an insult to call Worthington “mainstream” at this point. Also, if he’s “mainstream” just because we want him to be, we’d also have to nominate The Malpass Brothers, Zach Top, and half a hundred other traditional country artists the same just because we want them to be.
December 13, 2023 @ 2:50 am
…”mainstream” is not an insult, trigger, nor is “indie” or “americana” a more commendable or “higher” distinction. actually, these descriptions do not even work as helpful opposite guidance. “mainstream” is commonly describing some wider appeal of something. mass appeal in its most elevated form. “indie” is as much a state of mind as it can be seen as an indication, where you stand in your musical career from a commerical point of view. it can also develop a wider appeal – as sturgill simpson, tyler childers or billy strings have already shown to a certain degree. zach bryan might even come close to mass appeal within his generation (z) next year.
reaching the point of attracting a wide audience is not a negative – nor an “insult” – by any means. on the contrary, in jake worthington’ case, i would even argue that he would not mind reaching the biggest audience possible with his music. this is what puts food on the table and gas in the tank at the end of the day. his label big loud records clearly is a organisation that seeks the biggest audience and material success – i.e. dollars – possible for itself and the artists on its roster. joey moy isn’t exactly a reborn saint martin, is he? worthington’s album was named “album of the year” at the texas music awards recently, which obviously indicates already some wider reach of his. Furthermore, if you asked country fans around the world, you would probably find out that most of them still consider the (more) traditional sounds as “real country music” – mainstream approval that is, jake worthington’s music is much closer to alan jackson’s or mark chesnutt’s than that of brent cobb or gurf morlix, isn’t it.
December 13, 2023 @ 7:48 am
Hey Tom,
I’m not exactly sure what you’re getting at here, but I am certainly not trying to use these terms as pejoratives and much as descriptors. If Jake Worthington is winning Texas Music Awards, that in my opinion would mean he’s more of a Texas music artist than a mainstream artist. “Mainstream” is not just a delineation of popularity, but a sound. You definitely know it when you hear it, and Jake Worthington is definitely not that. That doesn’t mean he can’t become popular. It’ just means he’s not going to have #1 songs on country radio, nor is he trying for that.
I put together this compendium of country music definitions and subgenres last year. It might come into use in this instance.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/compendium-of-country-music-definitions-subgenres-terms-eras/
December 12, 2023 @ 3:04 am
I’d never knowingly listened to Chase Rice before, and from what he’s said it appears he’s not the biggest fan of his previous releases. This album is my number one of the year. It’s a reinvention that I doubt many saw coming and should be applauded. Really looking forward to seeing where he goes next.
December 12, 2023 @ 11:14 am
Same here. Maybe not #1 but a dramatic shift I never expected or sought out until after reading here but I’m glad I did!
December 12, 2023 @ 8:51 am
1-Combs
2-Maroney
3-McBryde
4-Johnson
5-Stapleton
December 12, 2023 @ 9:22 am
1-Parker
2-Combs
3-Stapleton
4-Dierks
5-Green
December 12, 2023 @ 10:32 am
The funny thing is that over here in the Netherlands the albums on this list (minus Stapleton) are way more obscure than those in the other lists. The larger mainstream country acts seem to be that for the USA only and the artists contained in such categories as (and I am sorry for these denominators) Americana, blue grass, Alt-country and… god forbid… Indigo tend to find a much richer feeding ground here.
December 12, 2023 @ 4:10 pm
Yeah I wouldn’t know any of these fellers from Adeem the Artist if I wasn’t a reader of SCM except maybe Chris Stapleton and Dierks Bentley.
December 12, 2023 @ 11:10 am
Hey Trigger, I know the review itself is what matters and not so much the score at the end, but I did notice that the Combs’ record scored higher than a few ranked ahead of it here. Not nit picking at all because it’s a great list, but I was a little curious as to the methodology behind that. Appreciate all the year end work!
December 12, 2023 @ 11:25 am
Thanks for the playlist. I’m sure it’s gonna be “fire” as the kids say. Just came to say that I started with CoJo’s Leather and “Texas” on it’s surface is just another list of Texas caricatures sung with a steel guitar, but as a Texan myself… holy crap is it fun.
December 12, 2023 @ 11:29 am
Listened to the Chase Rice album this morning after reading this article. Much to my surprise it’s a good one. Like a previous commenter said I would add Justin Moore’s Stray Dog album to the list. But I’m not sure he is mainstream. Guy gets virtually no radio play or recognition at the awards show. He seems to fall in between mainstream and non-mainstream but his albums are consistently good in my opinion.
December 18, 2023 @ 12:09 pm
Justin Moore has several hits on country radio. He’s definitely “mainstream.”
December 12, 2023 @ 11:30 am
I would have some difficulty deciding what is mainstream and what is not. It is a distinction that is getting ever more difficult to make. There are some great releases mainstream or not. As always, it is subjective. I am not so sure about the Parker McCollum album but will give it another listen. Cody Johnson or Chris Stapleton for me for top spot. Does War and Treaty count as mainstream? They are signed to a major label, I think. If yes, they would also challenge for top spot and might just snatch it for me. Close though! Whether mainstream or not, this has been a wonderful year for some great music and mainstream has certainly contributed.
December 12, 2023 @ 5:47 pm
Anyone who wears that style of “Cowboy Hat” that Stapleton wears is, in my mind, a complete douchebag. Each and every one who wears that “thing.” I can never get beyond that with him. Such an absurdity.
December 13, 2023 @ 12:48 am
Do you always get so angry about men’s clothing choices?!
December 13, 2023 @ 2:10 pm
To me, ANYONE who wears that kind of hat is AUTOMATICALLY cool. You may want to do some introspection tonight before you go to sleep to determine if your dislike for said hat stems from jealousy of not being as cool as The Stapletonmeister. If I was as cool and talented as the The Stapletonmeister, I’d wear the same hat, except bigger, and also with a bigger feather.
December 13, 2023 @ 12:00 pm
Stapleton is a vocal powerhouse who will be hall of fame but Higher felt pretty phoned in. Nothing really grabbed me and most of it was predictable. I’d call it Safe. I was hoping for something closer to Traveller which is his best to date IMO.
CoJo and Ashley M rating are SPOT ON. The BEST.
December 14, 2023 @ 4:52 am
i was weidly obsessed for a period of time with the ERNEST deluxe album, it s the most listened mainstream artist according to my account, good songwriter for sure.
December 14, 2023 @ 7:02 am
Chris Stapleton: When you want the look of David Allan Coe and the sound of Florida Georgia Line!
December 14, 2023 @ 2:48 pm
Bell Bottom Country… for the girls.
December 15, 2023 @ 12:29 pm
I am not sure you can rightly call Caitlyn Smith mainstream, in the sense that she is consistently ignored by radio and by award shows. She occupies a strange space wherein she’s too real for radio, but too pop for most traditionalists to take a listen. It’s a shame, because whatever you call it, her songwriting is real and honest, and her vocals are arguably the best in the genre right now. She has a technically excellent voice, while also managing to pull out every scrap of emotion in a lyric like the best songwriters can. High and Low is one of the better albums of the year, mainstream or otherwise, in my opinion, if barely country.
Megan Moroney’s album is my favorite among those listed, although there are a couple I haven’t heard yet. Her writing is very smart, and her voice is really unique. Her record sounds fresh and youthful but distinctly steeped in country tradition.
Curious if you listened to, and if so, what you thought of, the pop EP Rolling up the Welcome Mat by Kelsea Ballerini. It is definitely not country sonically, although the writing is quite raw and honest. She has a stream-of-consciousness style of writing which she leaned into on this collection, and I think it really suits her and this project. Purely as a piece of art, irrespective of genre, I found this, to my surprise, to be one of the most interesting releases in 2023.
December 15, 2023 @ 4:43 pm
I find his voice/songs so generic and the notion that he’s “authentic” or whatever that means seems absurd to me. It’s like he learned about The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd, and other Southern Rock and decided “I will be a clone of them, but with lame lyrics,no distinctive instrumental sound, a ridiculous cowboy hat, and the requisite facial hair.”
December 15, 2023 @ 4:46 pm
No, but I know a douchey cowboy hat when I see one.
December 17, 2023 @ 9:20 am
I’m kinda new to the Ashley McBryde thing as I don’t listen to too much mainstream country.
Devil I Know is a very good album. Not a bad song on there.
Saw her for the first time last night in Baltimore. She is a fantastic performer! Her band ain’t too shabby either. She is as as good as anyone I have ever seen live and better than most.
December 22, 2023 @ 7:39 pm
I’ve been a CoJo fan for awhile and saw him play live a couple of years ago with Ian Munsick, but dang I thought this last album was pretty poor. Super surprised you ranked it so high, didn’t seem nearly as good as Human, and even that was (as is the case with the giant albums these days) about half quality and half filler for me.
January 9, 2024 @ 1:36 pm
Wish I could see her in SF. Unfortunately she playing in a SRO venue. I can’t stand that long and I’ll never be able to see anything (I’m 4’10’). Oh well. Heck I’d pay for livestream