Waxahatchee leads the pack this week.
Waxahatchee
Tigers Blood
An album that somehow immediately announces itself as brilliant while also sounding like a grower. As ever, her best songs simply stop time so she can take stock of the full emotional cadence of an instant, before it slips away. An essential listen.
Chris Young
Young Love & Saturday Nights
His usual album: One that reminds that “Neon” will remain the outlier in his catalogue in favor of mainstream-pandering hackery that he wastes his stellar voice on, with a couple of tracks to show he could still choose to do better. CTRL+C / CTRL+V every two years.
Sam Morrow
On the Ride Here
Forgive the geriatric millennial reference, but Morrow’s album sounds just like Stillwater. Am I mad about that? Not a bit. There’s a likable trippiness to his version of south-by-southwestern rock, and he’s got a terrific, versatile voice. A smooth ride.
Wonder Women of Country
Wonder Women of Country [EP]
The only knocks against this are its brevity and the fact that perhaps too many tracks play as new solo recordings from these three, rather than a Trio-style effort. But when those solo-ish recordings are this strong? Come on, now. We’ll forever champion these heroes.
Charles Wesley Godwin
Live from Echo Mountain
A collection that reaffirms his status as a generational songwriter… and that he doesn’t quite have the goods as a singer of his brilliant songs. When the songs are this good and the band’s this tight, though, there’s ample reason to forgive the vocal deficiencies.
Lola Kirke
Country Curious [EP]
Two brilliant tracks– one with Rosanne Cash, no less!– one solid piss-take that’s legit clever, and one song on which she sings like Gwen Stefani for no discernible reason all combine for a debut EP that suggests Kirke’s curiosity could pay off in the long-term.
The Hanging Stars
On a Golden Shore
Nakedly derivative of vintage country-rock / SoCal acts, but executed with an ear for why those acts were so appealing in the first place. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but it’s good vibes the whole way through, and sometimes that’s enough.
Dion
Girl Friends
I honest-to-God thought he was dead, so it’s a pleasant surprise to get this solid enough collection of blues-leaning tracks on which his collaborators are mostly up to the challenge. So good to hear Carlene Carter again, and Shemekia Copeland and Valerie Tyson are the other standouts here.
…i swear, i tried to like something on that waxahatchee album. but apart from the names and some of the footage in the clips i failed miserably so far. tryin’ again feels somewhat like hitting the little toe on the leg of a table two days in row – on purpose! perhaps, i’m just like sierra ferrell sings in “money train” (from her new strong album of the year contender “trail of flowers”): i wasn’t built for pain… and rain either.
acutally, has anybody realised too how good a song “desperate” from brittney spencer’s album “my stupid life” is? i know, i’m slightly behind the “bluesky points'” curve still catching up while going with this year’s flow.