Album Reviews – Page 25 – Country Universe

Charlie Louvin, Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs

December 14, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 6

Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs This has been quite the year for the historically themed country album. Two of the year’s best releases have come from veteran singers exploring their roots, with

Various Artists, Ultimate Grammy Collection: Classic Country and Contemporary Country

December 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 1

Various Artists Ultimate Grammy Collection: Classic Country Contemporary Country Earlier this year, the Grammys celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with a series of compilations focusing on winners in different fields. Two of the best entries in

Hayes Carll, Trouble in Mind

December 10, 2008 Guest Contributor 6

Hayes Carll Trouble in Mind The first couplet of Hayes Carll’s Trouble in Mind is a fitting introduction to a common man’s intellectual. On the arresting “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” he croons, “I’ve got a woman,

Steve Azar, Indianola

December 9, 2008 Guest Contributor 5

Steve Azar Indianola Almost twenty years after he first started touring in the Southeast, Azar signed his first major label record deal with Mercury in 2001. The resulting album Waitin’ on Joe, included a top five

Shelby Lynne, Just a Little Lovin’

December 5, 2008 Guest Contributor 5

Shelby Lynne Just a Little Lovin’ Dusty Springfield portrayed sexual longing and soulful intensity in a thrilling manner. Her nakedly honest songs seemed to be a survival mechanism. If she couldn’t speak her candid truths,

Allison Moorer, Mockingbird

December 4, 2008 Guest Contributor 6

Allison Moorer Mockingbird Allison Moorer’s latest album is an exercise in splendid restraint. Excepting the title track, a Moorer original, Mockingbird is a collection of songs written and performed by the women who serve as her musical idols. Moorer shows an overt dedication to

George Strait, Troubadour

December 3, 2008 Guest Contributor 9

George Strait Troubadour A paragon of consistency, George Strait debuted in 1981, just as the Urban Cowboy fad was fading. But Strait, a true-to-life Texas buckaroo, is no fad, and judging by his newest album, Troubadour, he’s surely not fading. Strait

Rebecca Lynn Howard, No Rules

December 2, 2008 Guest Contributor 13

Rebecca Lynn Howard No Rules Patty Loveless has proclaimed her as a thrilling voice in modern-day country. Trisha Yearwood covered two of her gorgeously sad ballads on 2001’s Inside Out. And yet, Rebecca Lynn Howard

Dolly Parton, Backwoods Barbie

December 1, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 4

Dolly Parton Backwoods Barbie Parton’s return to mainstream country wasn’t as long a wait as press materials suggested. While she has championed this as her first regular country album in seventeen years, nearly all of

The Steeldrivers, The Steeldrivers

December 1, 2008 Guest Contributor 3

The SteelDrivers The SteelDrivers With their eponymous debut, The Steeldrivers have delivered a stirring symphony of haunting rhythms and clever stories that are classified as bluegrass. But the five-piece band, a collection of veteran musicians based

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