Sam Williams’ major label debut proves he possesses his family’s talent, but also suggests he hasn’t yet asserted his own musical identity. If nothing else, the descendants of Hank Williams who’ve made a go of recording careers have all attempted to stake their own…
Wanda Jackson deserved a far better party than Encore for her send-off. Recorded in 2019, before she announced her official retirement, Encore will most likely be the legendary Wanda Jackson’s final studio album. For her swan song, Jackson enlisted a catalog of collaborators who, on paper,…
Connie Smith’s excellent The Cry of the Heart is proof that traditional country in 2021 doesn’t have to be mere museum curio. While many of country music’s legacy artists have been as prolific in their elderly years as they were in their youth, Connie Smith…
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…
The Bangles’ origin story is, at this point, the stuff of pop mythology, with Susanna Hoffs’ perfectly on-brand “must be nice” advertisement for bandmates and the shifting line-up’s emergence in the niche Paisley Underground scene. But that backstory actually goes a long way toward…
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,…
Lynn’s latest, unfortunately, is another instance of her merely repeating herself without much beyond her legacy to justify its existence. In referencing one of her signature hits for the title and opening track of her latest album, Loretta Lynn tips her hand: Still Woman…
Aaron Lee Tasjan’s latest is a confident, audacious work that earns all of its explanation points. Because he’s found a home on the New West label and has generally adopted a retro-minded style, Aaron Lee Tasjan has been characterized as an Americana act. But…
