Amythyst Kiah’s breakthrough autobiographical album dwells in the darkness without getting lost in the void. If you know Amythyst Kiah, it’s probably through her involvement with Our Native Daughters, the Rhiannon Giddens-led all-star troupe that reasserted the centrality of Black women to the history…
Gary Allan needs to stop trying to be cool and remember where he came from. Throughout the aughts, Gary Allan was one of the few consistent bright spots on country radio. Armed with a truly remarkable voice of real range and grit, Allan brought a rough-hewn…
Somehow Chris Thile’s debut solo record, Laysongs finds the musician in delicate, ruminative form. Given that he’s been a professional musician for more than half of his life, it’s something of a surprise to realize that Laysongs is Chris Thile’s official solo debut. First gaining recognition…
Ashley Monroe fully commits to a new mood on Rosegold, but the lightweight affair is stripped of much depth or character. Ever since Like a Rose, the 2013 album that was for all intents and purposes her debut, Ashley Monroe has been all but…
The Marfa Tapes finds the three old-hats of country riding each other’s waves to melancholy and joyous heights. Toward the end of The Marfa Tapes, you’ll hear Miranda Lambert sing “Tin Man,” a signature song from her 2016 masterpiece The Weight of These Wings. She’s…
Taylor’s Version is an unnecessary work, but one that remains fascinating in the way an older, more experienced Swift slightly reshapes these songs of innocence. “I knew everything when I was young,” sang Taylor Swift on folklore, her magnificently mopey Grammy winner from 2020. Twelve…
The Moon and Stars is a masterful, singular effort and career apogee for Valerie June. As Miles Davis once said, “Sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself.” This little proverb has become familiar almost to the point of cliché, but…
Who by Fire is a reverent, accomplished tribute album that both honors both Cohen and retains First Aid Kit’s particular character. Recorded a few months after Leonard Cohen’s death, Who By Fire is a heartfelt tribute album of his music performed live by Swedish…
Our Country is a remarkable statement of Marks’ rightful place at the fore of modern country music. In the mid-2000s, Miko Marks recorded a couple of albums of straight-down-the-middle mainstream country that came and went with minimal notice and even less industry support. As…
My Savior is not just an impressive work of gospel, but is Carrie Underwood’s best record to date. At no point in her career has Carrie Underwood hidden her Christian faith; after American Idol, and the coronation single that followed, both ran their course,…
