CD Reviews

Wade Bowen
Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth

It's always rewarding whenever the meaning of song sneaks up on you, which happens with the tile track ("Somewhere Between The Secret and The Truth") of Wade Bowen's fine album. He sets us up all the way through, dropping hints about all the little ways he's keeping secrets from his spouse. ...

Various Artists
Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson

It might be said that John Anderson is an underrated country artist. You just don't see his name regularly dropped the way you see, say, George Strait's. However, the "Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson" makes a good case for this man deserving legendary status. ...

Monica Taylor
Trains, Rivers, & Trails

Oklahoma roots royalty turn out to support Monica Taylor, dubbed "The Cimmaron Songbird" for "Trains, Rivers & Trails," her third solo album and ninth overall, coming near Woody Guthrie's 110th birthday. While there are a dozen musicians and singers in the credits, suffice it ...

John Moreland
Birds in the Calling

John Moreland oftentimes gets lumped into the Americana genre, probably because he doesn't really fit anyplace else. Although he's from Longview, Texas, he's recorded for the alternative label 4AD in the past. That's a British imprint better known for alternative acts, like Cocteau ...

Positive Vibrations
Country Goes Reggae

Successful musical mashups can oftentimes turn into viral videos. The creative audacity of mixing and matching diverse genres can many times produce unlikely musical magic. With "Country Goes Reggae," producers Christian and Frank Berman (The Berman Brothers) and partner Ron Oehl have ...

Acoustic Syndicate
All in Time

North Carolina's bluegrass/roots fusion band Acoustic Syndicate has been making music for over a quarter of a century. Yet, "All in Time" is their first album in nine years. Theirs is a stew of southern roots music and doses of improvisation, not unlike a jazz group, especially in a live setting. ...

Zach Bryan
Summertime Blues

Some have described celebrated singer/songwriter Zach Bryan's style as 'sad boy country' and only this sort of unhappy artist can make even getting off work sound a little depressing. However, Bryan does just that with his "Summertime Blues EP" opener, "Quittin Time. ...

Jim Hurst
From the Ground Up

Jim Hurst remains under-known within the acoustic and bluegrass worlds despite a career of considerable length with numerous accolades. Twice the IBMA's Guitarist of the Year, Hurst has served as a sideman and compatriot to many including Claire Lynch, Missy Raines, Holly Dunn and Trisha Yearwood. ...

Peter Rowan
Calling You From My Mountain

It's been nearly six decades since Peter Rowan came to national renown as lead singer and guitarist for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, and it will likely come as a shock to many bluegrass fans that he turned 80 years old on the Fourth of July this year. Nonetheless, retirement or even ...

Jimmie Allen
Tulip Drive

Nearly smack dab in the middle of a mostly inconsequential collection of songs, Jimmie Allen hits us with "Habits & Hearts," a truly gripping song about substance abuse. "But habits are harder than hearts to break," Allen reminds us during the chorus. Had he given us 16 more songs ...

Brett Eldredge
Songs About You

The title song for Brett Eldredge's "Songs About You" is a slow, soul song. Much of it is set in Chicago, with Eldredge walking city streets and noticing the various tunes being played on radio stations within earshot. And wouldn't you know it, every one of them reminds him of his ...

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dirt Goes Dylan

Naturally, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gives Bob Dylan songs a little extra twang with "Dirt Does Dylan." They're a fairly traditional country act, after all. Then again, so much of Dylan's music was/is already quite country, so they didn't have to rearrange it all too much. ...

High Valley
Way Back

If there's one thing that the Canadian outfit High Valley knows how to do is to stay in their lane. The Rempel brothers duo is now down to one after Curtis amicably split from the band. The band is known for its unique bluegrass-infused contemporary country, and their sixth album bounces along ...

Lyle Lovett
12th Of June

It may be disappointing to wait a decade for a new Lyle Lovett album and then discover about a third of it is covers -- and the opening track is an instrumental. Furthermore, that dry Lovett sense of humor only fully comes through on "Pants Is Overrated." Ah, but this is such a good, funny ...

Steve Forbert
Moving Through America

"Moving Through America" is Steve Forbert's 17th album of original material, not counting numerous outtake, covers, and live collections. Establishing himself as a folk-rock troubadour in the waning days of punk while new wave was still sorting itself out, Forbert briefly flirted with ...

Willie Nelson
A Beautiful Time

They say if you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life. Just ask 89-year-old Willie Nelson. Within recent history, he's been releasing records at a clip far younger people can only envy, at over an album a year. A tribute album to Frank Sinatra? Absolutely. Traditional hymns? Sure. ...

Chris Janson
All In

Chris Janson, who has made it well known how he's skilled at fixing drinks, expectedly comes to party much of the time on "All In." For instance, he revs up the party bus to top speed during "Halfway to Crazy." However, this 16-song album contains far more than mere bar beverage discussion. ...

Railroad Earth
All For the Song

New Jersey-based Railroad Earth enters their third decade as a band, returning with "All For the Song," their first album since 2019's "Railroad Earth: The John Denver Letters." The new album marks a few firsts. It's produced by Swedish-NOLA songwriter/guitarist Anders ...

Jason Aldean
Macon, Georgia

Jason Aldean's 10th studio album "Georgia "initially seems like yeoman's effort. As the second half of a double album that follows last year's "Macon," the collection boasts 30 songs; 20 are new. It is a more than a respectable length for a single album. ...

Richie Furay
In The Country

Richie Furay has lived quite the life, ranging from his membership in Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Buffalo Springfield to his significantly different role as the senior pastor of a Colorado Calvary Chapel. However, his "In the Country" album of mostly '90s cover songs, reminds us all how ...