Despite covering well-tread ground, Hell on Church Street is full of surprises. A terrific standalone album that’s perhaps done a disservice by its concept, Punch…
Even when Frayed at Both Ends isn’t peddling Lewis’s particular propaganda, it’s a mostly turgid, mediocre affair. In July 2021, Aaron Lewis released “Am I the…
With And Now, Let’s Turn the Page…, Cobb shares a brand of southern gospel keenly focused on a particular shared experience. Thinking back on my…
A long time coming, Raise the Roof is an enriching reunion for Plant, Krauss, and Burnett, only occasionally frustrated by the latter’s artificial production instincts. How…
In These Silent Days breaks the COVID-19 album mold, with Carlile toward introspection and intense emotionalism without giving in to insularity. Brandi Carlile wrote the material…
Miko Marks’ EP — a confrontation with outmoded country normatives — might be even better than her exceptional LP debut. After Music Row had silenced…
Pins & Needles is a star-making turn for Hemby, the rare gimmick-free studio debut that simply rips. You probably know a lot of Natalie Hemby songs,…
You Get It All is Carll’s best work since his debut, every track here an outright winner. An artist whose rapturous reception in his early career…
Renewal perfectly articulates Billy Strings’ wunderkind facility with both traditional and progressive bluegrass bona fides. Bluegrass remains the most doggedly conservative — from a formalist perspective,…
The Servant is another stunning piece of evidence that Shelby Lynne can do pretty much anything as a singer and record-maker. Following the genre-bursting bravura of…
29: Written in Stone is the best mainstream country album of the year and feels like the moment where Carly Pearce has come into her own…
Star-Crossed is a raw album but distinctly minor, teetering into boring and a notable letdown after Golden Hour. After a busy release cycle unexpectedly launched Kacey Musgraves…
A Southern Gothic is an album that thrillingly pushes at the boundaries of what the blues can be. You can think of genre as a set…
The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is traditional without every feeling old-timey, and is more fun and plays to Simpson’s strengths more than his more recent…
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,…
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…
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…
Stand for Myself reflects Yola’s next phase of healing after her debut, a sophomore effort that is equally confident and vulnerable. Stand for Myself is…
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…
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…