An excellent roundup this week, with multiple AOTY contenders among the eleven releases covered.
A Thousand Horses
Outside
Another album of professionally crafted, sturdy country-rock that raises the question of why Parmalee and Old Dominion instead of this crew, who at least have a consistent aesthetic and can structure a hook.
Jontavious Willis
Jontavious Willis’ West Georgia Blues
A masterclass in bringing old-timey genre forms into the present day. Willis’ rare gift is being a wholly credible blues singer and writer who also conveys a powerful sense of joy through his performances. His love for the genre shines on every moment of this.
The Hanseroth Twins
Vera
Perfectly fine, but there’s nothing here to suggest that it’s different from what it would’ve sounded like if they’d sung lead on any of the last three Brandi Carlile albums. They’re talented, yes, but they’ve yet to establish a clear identity independent of their work with her.
Morgan Wade
Obsessed
Drops the rock signifiers in favor of a more overtly country aesthetic that foregrounds her natural twang, which is the right move. Still prone to therapyspeak-as-song-lyrics, which works sometimes and distracts at others, but this is her most consistent record yet.
Josh Turner
That Country Music Thing
Finally, he’s figured out how to hold onto his formal, philosophical conservatism without sounding like a total square or reactionary, and it makes for a career-best album. A welcome return from one of his era’s most distinctive voices, and he’s singing better than ever.
Michael Reynolds
Tarnished Nickel Sky
I did not think we’d ever hear this man’s extraordinary tenor again, but the former Pinmonkey (!) frontman returns with an album of thoughtfully composed songs that are accessible without sounding beholden to country or ‘Cana trends. Hallelujah, this train still runs.
Shelby Lynne
Consequences of the Crown
I’ll go to bat for every phase of her career, including the last 20 years of mellow Americana, but this plays in form and content as the first “proper” follow-up to I AM. She’s back in Nashville, and her collaborators truly did right by her. Essential.
Colby Acuff
American Son
Tremendous stuff. Acuff’s kept up his album-per-year pace for five years running, and he gets better each time. Here, the Idaho Childers pushes ever closer to a commercial-ready sound without losing any of the regional specificity or deep-cut influences that make him great.
Dasha
What Happens Now [EP]
Crafted for maximum viral impact, with brief songs of perfect pop songcraft bolstered by obligatory but well-used country signifiers. A technically competent but indistinct singing voice that’s well-matched to a competent but indistinct post-Swift writing POV.
Karen Jonas
The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch
Jonas is an artist who always takes massive swings, and this decades-spanning concept record’s her biggest one yet. In the moments that don’t work, she forgets that camp can’t happen on purpose. But it’s mostly a withering, brilliant critique of trash culture.
Rhonda Vincent
Destinations and Fun Places
A collection of collabs and covers that mostly lives up to the “fun” of the title. Grass queen Vincent’s in fine voice and makes a few surprising song choices, including a great ONJ cover and a rendition of “Wagon Wheel” that’s too guileless to hate on.
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