CD Reviews

Bryan Sutton
From Roots to Branches, Vol. 1

Like his last duets album from 2006, Bryan Sutton's "From Roots to Branches, Vol. 1" is sure to be a fun treat for fans of the Bluegrass Extended Cinematic Universe (just like Marvel does with the superhero film franchise). Sutton, one of country music's best living guitarists, ...

Carly Pearce
Honest Woman

Carly Pearce lives up to the title of "Honest Woman" by allowing herself to express emotions that are not always easy or flattering. The country singer moves through love, longing, disappointment, faith and personal fulfillment without pretending to have everything figured out. ...

Little Big Town
It's A Dying Art

If 2022's "Mr. Sun" was a collection of good B-grade country songs with SPF that left Little Big Town fans wondering if their beloved Nashville band had plateaued, "It's A Dying Art" is proof that this quartet still has something to say. On their 12th studio album, ...

Riley Downing
Landfille Poetry

Riley Downing's second solo release, "Landfill Poetry," is a cozy little nugget of an Americana record that is a mix of blues and the New Orleans jug band sound of his regular gig with The Deslondes with some rock and classic country sensibilities. It's a cohesive artistic endeavor ...

Ian Munsick
The Mountain Goat

”Way up high in isolation where most men dare not go, that’s my destination … Cuz I’m the mountain goat” These, the opening lines of the album, serve as Ian Munsick's Declaration of Independence. After three albums and a documentary in five years with Warner ...

Waylon Payne
Wayward

It has been six years since Waylon Payne's defining monument, the autobiographical, writerly "Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me." And that album was released after a 16-year hiatus as Payne wrangled demons and their strange hungers. But this is not Rick Rubin and Johnny Cash. ...

Ashley Cooke
ashley cooke

Ashley Cooke approaches love with an unusual amount of self-awareness on her self-titled sophomore album. Across 15 songs, the Florida-raised singer-songwriter traces the highs, doubts and contradictions of a relationship while frequently turning the examination inward. Cooke co-wrote every track, and ...

Brian Kelley
Coral Sea

Brian Kelley highlights his Floridian roots and beachy lifestyle on "Coral Beats" with 10 tracks centered around the coastal country and pop genres. Kelley's work serves as an homage to his upbringing, an easygoing energy, the music encapsulates the late summer feeling. ...

Elizabeth Cook
Great Television

Across 25 years and eight albums featuring as many producers, Elizabeth Cook has seemingly chased the allure of stardom Nashville's neon lights promises to all who venture into its grasp. Despite hundreds of appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage, multiple labels, late night television spots ...

Bronwyn
Rattlin' Bones

As the fiddle player in Molly Tuttle's Golden Highway band until heading the solo route in 2024, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes knows the value of a supporting cast even as she has stepped to the front. For her newly christened "Bronwyn" moniker's latest release, she leans on an all-star cast ...

Corb Lund
Dark Horses

Spending the majority of the past two years advocating for sustainable fresh water safe from the effects of coal mining for ranchers, farmers and residents of southern Alberta, Canada hasn't left Corb Lund much time to write songs. So what is an artist turned reluctant activist to do? Revisit ...

The Grascals
Not That Gone

It feels almost unfair to write a review for a record by a straight-ahead bluegrass band of such a high caliber as the Grascals. They are an award-winning, veteran band in the bluegrass world that carries on the style of neotraditional bluegrass that they helped to form in the '90s and early ...

Wyatt Flores
Scared of Heights

As a young male country artist working now, it seems like there are two commonly trod paths to success: appeal to Tyler Childers' audience or to Morgan Wallen's. When the first glimpses of Wyatt Flores' work came out a few years ago, it seemed like he was choosing the former path. ...

Tucker Wetmore
Sunburn Mixtape

Following the release of his popular album "What Not To," Tucker Wetmore returns with an EP dedicated to a pop-heavy style and beach-going melodies. Coming in at a little under 20 minutes, this collection of six songs sometimes feels so polished that it buffs out any sense of distinctiveness or novelty. ...

Shaboozey
The Outlaw Cherie Lee and Other Western Tales

The country artists that stand the test of time are the ones who lasso its power as a medium of storytelling, and Shaboozey has proven himself to be one of them. After a breakthrough year in 2024 with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," the Grammy winner returns with his most ambitious, compelling creative effort yet. ...

Carter Faith
Cherry Valley Forever

Gatsby Records/MCA North Carolina native Carter Faith expands on her debut album with "Cherry Valley Forever," adding new material to a collection that already showcased her ability to blend traditional country storytelling with polished modern production. Across the deluxe release, Faith ...

Charles Wesley Godwin
Christian Name

Sometimes the best, most universal songs come from intensely personal perspectives; it's proof that we all go through the same stuff, whether we realize it or not. Charles Wesley Godwin has apparently been through the wringer over the last several years, including the stillbirth of his son in ...

Punch Brothers
The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers

For a string band with a great deal of range, "The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers" is a uniquely experimental album in their discography. Known for their poetic lyrics, distinctive front man and tight vocal harmonies, an album with no singing - hence the title - is a courageous departure. ...

Waylon Wyatt
Dustpiles

Waylon Wyatt has delivered a soulful and memorable release with his debut album, "Dustpiles." Hailing from Hackett, Ark. and at just 19 years old, Wyatt has demonstrated a prowess for crafting country music well beyond his years. Wyatt's initial discovery came from TikTok, where his ...

Scotty McCreery
15

Few voices in modern country music are as immediately recognizable as Scotty McCreery's. Rich, smooth and unmistakably country, his baritone has carried him from a teenage American Idol winner to one of the genre's most dependable hitmakers, but the longevity of his career cannot be ...