CD Reviews

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

Surrender Hill
Just Another Honky Tonk in a Quiet Western Town

Surrender Hill is the husband/wife duo of Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Seekins who deliver a double disc, double genre concept album "Just Another Honky Tonk in a Quiet Western Town." The first half of that phrase constitutes disc one, songs that evoke a rowdy cowboy bar in the yesteryear ...

Cole Swindell
Stereotype

Already successful as both a songwriter and a headlining performer, Cole Swindell's showcases both sides of that equation. The album includes seven co-writes of his own among the 13 tracks and some solid vocal turns on the hits that continue to prove that he is more than just a hit songwriter. ...

Paul Cauthen
Country Coming Down

Paul Cauthen may well have single handedly revived the country funk genre, first coined in the late '60s and early '70s and described by Jessica Hundley of The New York Times as "an inherently defiant genre - a style that encompasses the elation of gospel with the sexual thrust of the ...

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway
Crooked Tree

Not long ago, we were listening to Molly Tuttle on small, independent labels and now, less than four years later she is making her debut on the prestigious Nonesuch label with "Crooked Tree." Tuttle, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and brilliant multi-award-winning finger picking ...

Chris Haddox
Chris Haddox

This self-titled debut from Chris Haddox, a West Virginia University professor and former Habitat for Humanity executive director, has been incubating for a long time now. Five decades plus given that he wrote his first song as a second grader. Haddox hails from West Virginia, writes honest story ...

Maren Morris
Humble Quest

Seeing Greg Kurstin listed as the producer on Maren Morris' "Humble Quest" album, can't help but raise a few eyebrows. His resume includes the likes of Pink and Sia, but not many country-related artists. Furthermore, it wasn't too long ago that Morris had big hit with ...

Reba McEntire
My Chains Are Gone

It's so good to hear Reba McEntire's gospel album so soon after Carrie Underwood released the similar "My Savior." While Underwood's release may have been her country-ist album – ever, perhaps – McEntire has strayed far less often from her traditional music roots. ...

Hailey Whitters
Raised

Hailey Whitters' "Raised" album is very much a biographical collection. From the title cut to the extended family sung about during "Big Family," Whitters sings again and again about her relatives and upbringing. She doesn't have to say the words 'small town' ...

Dolly Parton
Run Rose Run

The Dolly Parton album, "Run, Rose, Run," is an aural companion to an original novel of the same name that the county music icon co-authored with popular novelist, James Patterson. Songs are inspired by characters in the book, and encouragement is a primary lyrical theme, from start to finish. ...

The HawtThorns
Tarot Cards and Shooting Stars

The once California-based husband-and-wife duo, the HawtThorns (KP and Johnny Hawthorn), relocated to Nashville, but recorded this sophomore release "Tarot Cards and Shooting Stars" in both L.A. and Music City. KP (formerly Kristin Proffit) has long been a leading voice of 'coastal ...

Amanda Platt & The Honeycutters
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

With increasing numbers of streaming singles being released, many music industry pundits have claimed that the full album may be nearing its demise. Nonetheless, there are plenty of examples to disprove that theory, one of which is this double album offering, "The Devil and The Deep Blue ...

Del McCoury
Almost Proud

Since the mid-nineties, there has not been a more substantial bluegrass outfit than The Del McCoury Band. There has likely not been a more recognized set of musicians since the International Bluegrass Music Awards started to be handed out in 1990. McCoury himself was the organization's first Male ...

Shovels & Rope
Manticore

Shovels & Rope, the husband/wife duo group of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, gives us a pained collection of songs with "Manticore." The title was inspired by the Strength Tarot card, which represents mastering raw emotions in order to bring calm to yourself or a situation. ...

Joe Nichols
Good Day for Living

Yes, it's more than a little ironic that the guy who had a big hit with "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," opens an album with a song called "Brokenhearted," which complains about how country radio so rarely plays sad, brokenhearted songs. Then again, there's a time to ...

Priscilla Block
Welcome To The Block Party

Whether she sings sad or happy, at her best, Priscilla Block may remind you of Miranda Lambert. Even when the production for "Welcome To The Block Party" gets a little too loud and busy, nothing can drown out Block's downhome country singing style. Same goes for Lambert. ...

Aaron Lewis
Frayed at Both Ends

Aaron Lewis' "Frayed At Both Ends" features the singer/songwriter's profanity-laced political diatribe, "Am I The Only One." If you're not on Lewis' (conservative) side of the political spectrum, you may steer clear of Lewis' album. This would be understandable. ...

Brent Cobb
And Now, Let's Turn To Page...

Brent Cobb sounds like an old country gospel singer while doing his version of "Old Rugged Cross," backed by gospel quartet-sounding backing vocals. Many of these accompanying vocalists are family members, and gospel music is in Cobb's blood. Furthermore, Cobb has said it's ...