Jason Scott & the High Heat emerge as contenders for the genre’s best band.
Tera Lynne Fister
Flowers From the Ground
One of the coolest voices I’ve heard in a minute, Fister’s a compelling and powerful singer, and her songwriting voice is nearly as strong. She takes some big swings on the arrangements here. Even when those do miss, there’s some real chutzpah to this record.
Jason Scott & the High Heat
American Grin
This outfit levels up in a big way from their very good debut record. The wiseass but still humanistic songwriting POV is instantly likable, and the range of styles they attach to those songs is a testament to their skill. Now a contender for the genre’s best band.
Brother and the Hayes
In Good Company
Their brand of modern cosmic country sounds like an extension of Musgraves’ Golden Hour in all the best ways, and with songwriting that’s quirky without make a whole self-conscious to-do about it. The vocal harmonies duly impress, too.
Ned LeDoux
Safe Haven
A career-redefining effort. Thoughtful and introspective songwriting and some surprising production choices reinforce the notion that dealing with loss requires moving beyond what’s comfortable and familiar. His facility with “& Western” shines but doesn’t hold him back.
And it’s worth noting that, while there’s a formal conservatism to some of his songwriting, his lyrics are rooted in the empathy that is essential to the best country music.
Joe Ely
Love + Freedom
There’s a freewheeling energy to this that suits him well and makes this an engaging enough project, at least intermittently so. But some of these songs just flat-out aren’t up to his standards, with lyrics that needed a couple more rounds of editing.
Olivia Ellen Lloyd
Do it Myself
I’m a sucker for song structure. It’s her mastery of form that’s most immediately striking about Lloyd’s writing, to the point that it was several listens before I could even hone in on the withering wit, twangy as all hell production, and vulnerable singing.
Charles Wesley Godwin
Lonely Mountain Town [EP]
Recording without his ace backing crew puts the emphasis on both the unimpeachable caliber of his detail-oriented songwriting and the very impeachable caliber of his singing of those songs. His performances sound nervous here on a set of songs that he should sell with confidence.
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