New Music Video From Cody Jinks and Sunny Sweeney - "Mamma Song"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Find It Where I Can"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Houston Belongs To Me"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Poet's Prayer"

Sunny Sweeney's Rhinestone Requiem Leads That Nashville Sound’s Top Albums of 2025

There are years when music feels like more than entertainment. It becomes a companion, a mirror, and sometimes even a lifeline. 2025 was one of those years. Across country, Americana, roots, and outlaw music, artists leaned heavily into storytelling that felt lived-in and honest. These were records shaped by miles traveled, relationships tested, faith questioned, joy rediscovered, and the steady passage of time.

In an era where singles dominate algorithms and attention spans are short, albums still matter deeply to artists and listeners who value cohesion, narrative, and emotional arc. The best records of 2025 were not just collections of songs, but complete statements. They rewarded listeners who pressed play and stayed put, albums that unfolded slowly and revealed more with every listen.

Country music, at its core, has always been about truth. Not perfection, not polish, but truth. This year’s strongest releases leaned into that ethos. Whether rooted in honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, or modern Americana, the albums that rose to the top carried a sense of purpose and authenticity that could not be manufactured.

Before naming this year’s top album, it is worth reflecting on the records that have previously earned That Nashville Sound’s Album of the Year distinction. These winners represent moments when artistry, timing, and storytelling aligned in a way that left a lasting mark.

Previous That Nashville Sound Album of the Year winners

1995: Dwight Yoakam - Blame The Vain

1996: Vince Gill - High Lonesome Sound

1997: Clint Black - Nothin' But The Taillights

1998: Lee Ann Womack - Some Things I Know

1999: Alison Krauss - Forget About It

2000: Vince Gill - Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye

2001: Tim McGraw - Set This Circus Down

2002: Johnny Cash - American IV- The Man Comes Around

2003: Patty Loveless - On Your Way Home

2004: Rachel Proctor - Where I Belong

2005: Gary Allan – Tough All Over (tie) & Lee Ann Womack – There’s More Where That Came From
2006: Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways
2007: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant – Raising Sand
2008: Lee Ann Womack – Call Me Crazy
2009: Eric Church – Carolina
2010: Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give
2011: Pistol Annies – Hell on Heels
2012: Marty Stuart – Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down
2013: Brandy Clark – 12 Stories
2014: Don Williams – Reflections
2015: Chris Stapleton – Traveller
2016: Ryan Beaver – RX
2017: Jason Eady – Jason Eady
2018: Ashley McBryde – Girl Goin’ Nowhere
2019: Erin Enderlin – Faulkner County
2020: Hailey Whitters – The Dream
2021: Mike and the Moonpies – One to Grow On
2022: Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country
2023: Cody Johnson – Leather
2024: Three Times A Lady – Live at 3rd and Lindsley

Each of these albums captured something essential about its moment, while still standing the test of time. That lineage makes the 2025 winner all the more meaningful.

2025 Album of the Year
Sunny Sweeney – Rhinestone Requiem

Rhinestone Requiem is not just a return to form for Sunny Sweeney, it is a reaffirmation of who she has always been as an artist. Honest to a fault, rooted in classic country tradition, and delivered with grit, humor, and heart, this album feels like the most complete statement of her career.

From its opening moments, Rhinestone Requiem establishes its tone. These are songs shaped by real experiences, sung by someone who has lived them. The record balances sharp wit with vulnerability, heartbreak with resilience, and traditional country sounds with modern clarity. Sweeney’s voice carries the weight of the stories effortlessly, never over-singing, never hiding behind production.

Lyrically, the album shines in its specificity. These are not generic tales of love and loss. They are detailed, personal, and emotionally grounded, which makes them universally relatable. Musically, the record embraces honky-tonk roots, tasteful instrumentation, and arrangements that serve the song first and foremost.

Rhinestone Requiem stands out because it feels timeless without feeling dated. It respects country music’s past while confidently existing in the present. In a year filled with excellent albums, this one lingered the longest and left the deepest impression.

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Honorable mentions for 2025

Hailey Whitters – Corn Queen

A confident, joyful, and grounded album that continues Whitters’ rise as one of the most important voices of her generation.

Courtney Patton – Carry You With Me

Warm, reflective, and deeply human, this record showcases Patton’s gift for emotional storytelling.

The Steeldrivers – Outrun

A powerful blend of bluegrass tradition and forward momentum, filled with masterful musicianship.

Alison Krauss and Union Station – Arcadia

Elegant, restrained, and beautifully crafted, a reminder of the enduring power of harmony and subtlety.

Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow

Poetic and introspective, an album that rewards careful listening and emotional investment.

The Wilder Blue – Still in the Runnin’

Rich harmonies and thoughtful songwriting anchored in classic Americana influences.

Drew Kennedy – Drew Kennedy

A self-titled album that feels personal, honest, and quietly confident.

Trisha Yearwood – The Mirror

A reflective and mature album that highlights Yearwood’s timeless voice and interpretive strength.

The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road

A seasoned band delivering thoughtful songs rooted in experience and musical craftsmanship.

The Castellows – Homecoming EP

An impressive and intimate collection that signals a bright future.

Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History

Graceful, literate songwriting from one of Americana’s most respected voices.

Turnpike Troubadours – Price of Admission

A powerful addition to the Red Dirt canon, filled with grit, heart, and authenticity.

Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World

Another reminder that Willie Nelson’s voice and perspective remain as vital as ever.

Cody Jinks – In My Blood

Raw, direct, and emotionally grounded, continuing Jinks’ outlaw legacy.

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Bold and uncompromising, rooted in Appalachian tradition and fearless expression.

Waylon Jennings – Songbird

A remarkable archival/postumous release that underscores Waylon’s enduring influence.

Jake Owen – Dream to Dream

A reflective and melodic independent album that hints at a new career direction for Owen. 

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Final thoughts

The best albums of 2025 shared one thing in common: they told the truth. In different voices and from different places, these artists reminded us why albums still matter and why country and Americana continue to resonate so deeply.

Sunny Sweeney’s Rhinestone Requiem leads the way this year, but the strength of the field speaks volumes about where the music is headed. Honest. Grounded. And built to last.

Feel Good Story Of The Day: Sunny Sweeney Pays It Forward

If you have followed Sunny Sweeney ("From a Table Away," "Staying's Worse Than Leaving," "Bottle By My Bed") on social media over the last week or two, you would have witnessed a remarkable story of an artist putting the spotlight on an everyday Joe and a group of fans that came together and raised a significant amount of money for someone they've never met before. If you missed this storyline, let me piece it together below for you. And maybe you'll be just as moved to do something or pay it forward in a similar way down the road. 

From Sunny, "We are traveling thru Florida playing some shows. Had a day off in Jacksonville, FL and being lazy, we decided to order pizza. I went to the lobby to meet the delivery guy. That's where I met this man, Alvin. I watched him walk super slowly into the lobby to bring us our pizza. There was something about this man's kindness that made me want to cry my eyes out. As I stood there talking to him, (and I didn't ask his age, but I assure you, he was too damn old to be physically impaired and having to deliver pizza to make ends meet." I said, "well, Alvin, tell me a little about yourself." He said, "I'm just out here trying to pay my bills."

"I meet people all over the world and some of them just touch my heart more than others. He asked if he could shake my hand, and I asked if I could have his phone number. So this is why I'm here today, I know there's lots of people struggling to make ends meet, but if I can attempt to make one guys life easier, then I feel like I am doing the job I was put here for."

So, in closing, I am gonna contact Alvin this week sometime and say I have a little present for him, assuming I can make a few extra bucks for him thru this go fund me. If we could pay his rent for a month, I bet he would be forever grateful. If you have anything to spare, even a dollar, anything helps.

And so Sunny set up a GoFundMe account HERE. And boy, did her music fans every come through. More than $11,000 raised in just 24 hours to help ease the financial strain for a man she had never met. 

Sunny followed up after a couple days of fundraising, "Um... after go fund me fees, we reached 11,026.01 cause of y'all's amazing donations and just loving on people we don't know. Thank YOU! Best feeling on the planet. We left Jax but thankfully my friend, Mike, let me Venmo him the rest when it went in my account and he just went and met up with Precious Alvin to deliver. I think we can all agree that the smile on his face says all I need to know and makes me grateful we all pitched in to make his day happier!  Love you, Alvin!  We can't wait to come back to town. ⚡️⚡️"

The next day, Sunny and Sunny's crew invited Alvin back in to give him the good news:

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Tie Me Up"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Poet's Prayer"

New Music Video from Sunny Sweeney - "Better Bad Idea"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "From A Table Away"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Pass The Pain"

New Music Video From Sunny Sweeney - "Nothing Wrong With Texas" (Texas Music Scene)

A That Nashville Sound Exclusive Interview With Courtney Patton On New Album, What It's Like To Fly Alone

Harlan Howard might have been the first to mutter the famous phrase that country music was, “Three Chords and the Truth,” but Courtney Patton has clearly made that her life mantra. Following her previous solo albums, Triggering a Flood (2013) and So This Is Life (2015), Patton has continued to draw on true life day-to-day autobiographical life experiences filled on her third album, What It’s Like To Fly Alone, to be released February 16, 2018.

Fresh off her second annual Hard Candy Christmas Tour with friends and fellow respected artists Sunny Sweeney, Jamie Lin Wilson and Brennen Leigh, Patton is quickly becoming a driving force within the Red Dirt and Texas music scenes and beyond. Patton married fellow musician Jason Eady in March of 2014 and together, they released the collaborative project, Something Together, in January of 2017.

Patton explains the genesis behind the project, “The album is titled after one of its songs, “What It’s Like to Fly Alone”. The title sounds melancholy, but the resolve isn’t. This record is full of songs about people who have had to “fly alone” in some way, whether through grief, loss, life choices, addiction or love. We have to work through our struggles, choose our own destiny, just like the characters in each song. We have to make ourselves happy. No one else can do that for us. I’ve been down in all of those ways, but I chose happiness. In the end, “flying alone” is soaring because you pick your path and you find your way.”

The album is phenomenal. In an era in which clichés and bravado is mistaken for bold noteworthiness, there’s something far more brave in peeling back highly personal and emotional open-book songs and delivering them with sensitivity and sentiment. Patton has done just that. She is the consummate storyteller on this project. Heartache isn’t just described, it’s tangibly felt.

Patton has called upon many of her musical friends to assist on the project. Chip Bricker, piano player with Gene Watson's highly acclaimed Farewell Party Band, is on keys. Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame member Lloyd Maines is on pedal steel. Heather Stalling (wife of Texas troubadour Max Stalling) is on fiddle, Jamie Lin Wilson (The Trishas), Dan Tyminski (Alison Krauss & Union Station) and husband Jason Eady are on background vocals. But after having fellow Texas troubadour Drew Kennedy produce her last album, Patton has taking the production reins this time around, further cementing this as her most personal work to date.  She took a time to talk to That Nashville Sound about the new project...

 

Ken Morton, Jr.: Well, first of all, happy album release week. How exciting!

Courtney Patton: Thank you.  It felt like a long time coming. I’m ready.

KMJ: It’s awesome. Talk to me first about some kind of general themes running through this record and maybe compare ‘em against your previous 2 LPs that you came out with.

CP: So, the title track kind of was the anchor for this and that’s "What It’s Like to Fly Alone." And on the onset, when you read that, it sounds like a very sad thing. But when you really dig into that song, it’s really about like self-exploration and trying to overcome things and knowing that you are the one person that has to make yourself happy at the end of the day, you know, and you’re the one that has to decide what that means. And I wrote it after a bad gig in Austin. And one of those that you get flustered by something that happens during the show that's beyond your control and has nothing to do with you, but then it causes you to forget lyrics. And ironically, I had a show like that 2 nights ago. Sound issues that popped the whole time I was playing and I started forgetting words to songs and then I just got so overcome, you know. And you just go “Man, I just can’t— I don’t know. Maybe I’m not cut out to do this.” And so, that whole drive home from Austin, I was just devastated and was thinking of ways to get out, you know. How can I salvage this? I’m gonna go back to college. I’m gonna get a bigger degree than what I have and I'm gonna teacher or I’m gonna do something, you know, in my public relations field or whatever. And by the time I got home, I realized that that was ridiculous and I had complete control over all the things in my life that bother me. One of the verses is about being a hypochondriac. You come out and say that, but just I worry that something’s gonna happen to me before I’m ready, but none of us can control that, you know. We just have to do the best we can to live every single day. So, that's kind of what that song is about. I didn't mean to write a record that fit into that them. But when I look back to the pile of songs that I had to go into this record, I realized that there was a resounding theme of figuring out how to do something on your own. And you know, I wrote a song about losing my sister and so that was learn how to grieve without her. One of them was about somebody who chooses drinking over a heartache. So, whether that's the right thing to do or not, that was one of the things and then one of them is about being on the road and being away from somebody you love and trying to get back home. So, that’s traveling this road by yourself and trying to get back. Song after song, I just realize that every one of them kind of fit in with that theme of just personal resolve and choosing happiness over heartbreak in whatever form that takes. And I think that's different than in the other ones. I don't know if there was much hope. In some of my other records, I think I was writing a little of a dark place or working through some things personally and maybe I didn't put as much joy or it's gonna be okay and I really did try to do that and it's hard.

KMJ:  For me, I thought that So This is Life was kind of, you know, heartache and being broken little bit. And I thought this time around it felt like you’re healing and you're advancing emotionally a little bit.

CP:  Yeah. And the biggest part about this record that most people don't know, I do write such personal songs normally and there are few of those on this record. But for the most part, I just try to be a songwriter this time. And I made up some stories. And I wrote stories from characters that I saw or fictional characters, but with very realistic stories. And it doesn't mean that some point in my life I didn't live some of those tales, but I didn’t write a complete autobiographical record, you know. I just took the theme of things that I've been through before and just try to force myself to write better because I am happy. I am a happy person now and I don't have sad things going on in my life constantly. And so, that's a struggle. When you’re a country songwriter, so how do you write songs that still will like evoke feeling, but aren’t cheesy, you know. I don’t wanna just write drinking songs or party songs. I just don't do that. So, that was a challenge for me this past couple years when I was writing to write a lot co-writes. You’ll notice there are more co-writes than anything I've ever had on any record. I think 7 of the 12 songs and 8 if count one of them, the cover, but 7 of them I co-write with friends of mine.

And so, that was a different thing for me that I've never done before and it helped me I think grow as a writer to learn to work with other people. And it pulled me out of my comfort zone and forced me to be more creative. So, that was fun too.

KMJ:  I've made you laugh at this comment before, but you're such a funny contradiction there. There is no one I’ve ever seen perform who has more fun on stage than you do particularly when Jamie Lin (Wilson) is egging you on. But then you have this amazing collection of terribly sad songs. It's such a funny contradiction.

CP: (Laughter) I’d rather be that than the other way around. Like seriously, it’s so fun and you’re so depressing.

KMJ: It's a wonderful dynamic.

CP: Thanks.

KMJ: This time, you produced the album yourself too.

CP:  I did.

KMJ: What was your thought from taking the reins this time around?

CP:  Really, the main reason, which is kind of embarrassing to admit, but financially I had more control financially doing it myself. You know, you pay a producer. And a lot of times when you work with your friends, it's not that much. They actually deserve a lot more than you're able to pay them. But this time, I chose to make a record in my hometown so I could be there to pick my kids up from school and really, really trying to be home for my kids more than I have been the last couple years touring. And in order to do that, I was able to find a studio at home with a couple of my friends with engineers and they got me a really, really great unbeatable day rate for the studio. And I was able to work on the hours that I wanted to. I was able to use our band. And then we tracked record in 2 days, which is pretty crazy. We just got through and knocked it out, which these guys have been playing these songs with me for over a year anyway just in my shows and stuff. So, we went in and tracked the record and then I was able to get the over dubs done on different times like Lloyd Maines he works from home. And so, I get everything to him and he has a timeline. So, I give him all that. He does all the parts and then sends them back to me and then I hired a piano guy in Dallas and he works from home as well. He has a home studio. So, it was just one of those things that was very easy for me to do it myself this time around. And it was a challenge too because I'm not maybe as good at delegating as I should be and I try to put a lot of pressure on myself in all parts of my life, you know.

And I’m lucky to have somebody like Lloyd who has no problem telling me his opinion on something whether I agree with him or not. He likes to guide me and I appreciate that. My buddies, you know, they’re so helpful in arrangements and things that maybe I didn't hear drums. And they'd say, “Why don’t you just let me try it and see if you like it?” And I ended up loving it. And so, on the phone, I wasn’t gonna have drums. We have drums. So, I really should say produced by all of us because all of us together, you know, kind of brainstorm, but it was fun. It was fun being in control of that and getting to put the instruments that I wanna do on things and having an idea on a piece of paper and making it come to an audible reality was pretty fun.

KMJ:  So, you're saying that Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks comes by her strong opinions honestly, huh?

CP: Correct. I would say that as a positive statement and not a bad one.  Yeah. Lloyd is such a great guy and I’m just so— I thank him profusely every time I talk to him and he's so hands that even after he was paid and done, for a few months he would message me. I'd wake up to an e-mail saying, “Hey, I'm just making sure you're still happy and you don't need anything. And I just want you to know how much I love your voice.” So, that’s pretty cool coming from him. I mean, he's worked with more people that I look up to and I can name. And if he's at the helm of all of that, that's pretty cool.

KMJ: The most powerful track to my ears was probably the most personal one. You mentioned it earlier with "Fourteen Years." I’d imagined that that came from a very therapeutic place as well, huh?
 
CP:  True. So, I was playing a show at our hometown, which is about an hour away from where I live now. And she passed away on the road that I was playing the show on about 2 blocks down from where I was. And so, she was a manager. It's so weird how that one street had so much to do with her story. There’s a main street in our town and then there's a street that runs parallel called Santa Fe. She was manager of a subway on Santa Fe. She lived on Santa Fe. She was killed on Santa Fe. And she was 2 blocks from her apartment when she passed and I was 2 blocks from the other side of that when I was playing my show.

And I realized it was anniversary the last time that I saw her, which is a week before she died. And I've gone home for my mom's birthday and she got off work at subway and we all met at mom’s and ate Whataburger together. And then I followed her back to her apartment. And she wanted to show me and she was so proud. And she was so excited about it. And I went in her room and she had this candle that I'd given her. It was purple and it was like a luminary thing and it said sisters on it. And she had it right next to her bed. And I remember like being so proud of my little sister was like growing up. And I told her I was proud of her and I'm so excited. And we had plans to see each other. And I gave her a hug and I turned around and I opened her door and walked out. And for some reason, I turned around and went back and hugged her again. I don't know why. And so, I've always been grateful that I did that and sometimes I think these things happen and they're outside of our control. And you look back and go “Man, somebody was giving me a little nod, you know, and telling me not to forget to tell her that I loved her.”

KMJ: (sniff sniff) It’s gotten very dusty in my office here by the way.

CP: (voice breaks) Yeah. Me too. But we had just happened to drop by the place where her accident was. I just started crying. I cried all the way home. But by the time I got home, I had 8 or 9 voice memos of just lines that I was just singing to her. And by the time I got home, I had a whole song. So, it kind of wrote itself.

KMJ: Wow.

CP: And it took me— I mean, it was 14 years, you know, too me to write it. But I think I was finally at a place where I could look back and really just appreciate the time that I had with her, but also just longing of— you know, wondering what it would have been like to still have her around with my kids. Now, I'm crying, Ken. Way to go. (laughter)

KMJ:  Oh, boy. Sorry about that one. That's my curse. I tend to have that effect on women. Okay, change of subject. There is one track on there that you didn't write. Talk me through that track and why you selected that one.

CP:  So, Kelley Mickwee, formerly of the Trishas or maybe still the Trishas whenever they decide to play, and Owen Temple who I’ve been a fan of since I was in high school— I’d like to tell him that to remind him how old he is, but I’m kidding— but they wrote this song and I don't know where I heard it and she said something on the microphone, which when she played it and said— I think Jason and I were there. And she said, you know, it’s written for somebody, you know, kind of had Jason and Courtney in mind. And she may just played it for the audience. And it worked. And I said, “She wrote that song for us.” So, I texted her and said I want to hear it. And she said, “I knew you’d love this song. I want to send it to you ‘cause I think that’s what people do.” And I took that as her pitching it to me whether she meant it or not. And I saved it in my inbox for like 2 years. And then when it came time to put songs in this, I pulled it out and started playing it. It shows just kind of more of “Oh, I’m in her town tonight. I’m gonna play it.” Well, then the owner videoed it and sent tit to Kelley and then Kelley called me crying telling me how much she loved it and your voice sounds so good on it. And I thought “Well, I'm gonna try it.” So, I started playing it live in shows with the band, Jason and Kevin sing harmony. It was just so dynamic. It’s so powerful and it was just one of those that as a writer, you know, you don't want to have to put cover songs on your record, but it was too good not to put on the record. I couldn't not put it on there. I’m really glad I did. It’s such great song. It’s a love song and it just feels right. You know, it felt like the right thing to do.

KMJ: It seamlessly ties in perfectly.

CP: It did. Yeah. I thought so too.

KMJ: I know you're not supposed to ask what else is out there on a project that hasn't even come out yet, but what other musical initiatives out there do you see for yourself in the coming years? I'd love to hear.

CP: You know, it’s a really good question. I'd say I want to concentrate more on the family basis this year, which was, you know, taking more time off to be home so I don't miss basketball games and soccer games of my kids. So, I’m putting myself on a strict work every other weekend tour schedule.

KMJ: Good for you.

CP: Except in the case of festivals like this last one in Key West. So, I missed one of my weekends. But If something like this presents itself, of course, you know, I gotta do it, but it's been nice already. We've already had a slumber party at our house January and I’ve been to basketball games and albert Plays on Sundays and Patton plays on Saturdays soccer and Patton plays during the week. And now, he’s just started track. He’s in middle school now. So, there's a lot of after school activities. And it's just really, really great to be home for those and I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else right now at this season of my life. They’re just growing so fast and I missed so much. And I know one day I’ll look back and be mad if I don't make more time to be there. So, honestly, that's kind of my goal, is to not work too much because I've worked a lot the last 2 years and for a good reason, you know, of trying to build a career.

But sometimes, you got to just pump the brakes a little bit and not miss so much and that’s where I’m at.

KMJ:  I’m happy for you. Balance will serve you well on both side of that equation. 

CP: We want to travel and one of the goals that Jason and I want to do is take a trip to Switzerland in the fall and bring some couples from the States with us and do kind of a traveling family show where we were in a tour bus and everybody rides together and we take a month going across different places. We kind of even joked yesterday about maybe going to the lake where I took the cover for So This is Life and like staged reenactment photos. That will be fun. Yeah. So, we’re just in the planning phases of getting that built for next fall. Gosh, I hope we get invited back to the Key West Music Festival. We’re getting to go Braun Brothers Reunion in the summer, which I can’t wait for. It’s one of my favorite things to be a part of and we’ve gotten to go once before and it was so much that I thought I hope I always get to go back. So, they asked this last year and we’d already accepted an offer. It kept us from doing it. And so, this year, we jumped as soon as they said, “Okay. Can you do it?” So, we’ll be going back to Challis, Idaho with the Braun boys this summer, which will be great.

And I just keep traveling and showing people the record, you know, and maybe trying to play with somewhat of a band more than I've ever done. Take a little trio with me where I can afford it and just make it more fun for me, you know. I don't know how long people want to sit much, I mean, stand with a guitar and sing, but I'm grateful they do.

KMJ:  That’s awesome. That Switzerland trip sounds like a totally Johnny and June Carter thing for you guys to do.

CP: Oh, is that right? We think that will be fun.

KMJ: Well, I end with the same question every interview and I've asked you this before. I'm gonna do it again now, Courtney. What is country music to Courtney Patton?

Courtney: I think more than ever especially with the news of Daryle Singletary passing yesterday very unexpectedly. It’s staying true to what country music means to you. And for me, it's the same thing I said last time. It’s in sad songs, and real songs, and singing in a pure voice and just being as authentic as you can be without arm being campy or falling prey to the more modern sounds that some people define country music as today, which is not my style. I like feeling nostalgic. And even if I'm writing songs today, I want ‘em to feel like maybe they could have been written when I was growing up. So, that's what country music is to me. Authenticity.
 

Jamie Lin Wilson Heads Into Historic Arlyn Studios To Record Album #2 - Fans Have An Opportunity To Go Along For The Ride

As regular readers of That Nashville Sound will know, we don't often share crowsdsourcing initiatives via PledgeMusic or Kickstarter very often. That is, until we feel so passionate about an artist and his or her project that it needs to be the exception to the rule. Today is one of those exceptions.

Texas artist Jamie Lin Wilson is following her phenomenal and critically-acclaimed debut solo album with another project in the coming months. Wilson originally broke into the Texas country/folk scene as one of the lead vocalists of the Sidehill Gougers, later known as just the Gougers before the band gradually gave way to not only Wilson’s solo work (the fine EP “Dirty Blonde Hair” was released in 2010) but also her highest-profile-yet musical adventures with The Trishas, an all-female singer-songwriter band that has toured through some of the state and nation’s best venues. Scoring one of the best albums of 2012 with High Wide & Handsome and framing Wilson’s stunning originals in the context of sisterly collaboration and harmony, the Trishas have brought her career to new heights while still leaving room for solo gigs, guest spots on over a dozen albums by now, and song-swaps with like-minded artists all over Texas and beyond. Since then she's been a powerhouse solo performer since, touring with the likes of Jack Ingram, Sunny Sweeney, Courtney Patton, Jason Eady and more.

Says Wilson on the creation of the new project, "Since releasing Holidays & Wedding Rings in 2015, I’ve toured around the world, played venues I never thought I’d get to, had another baby, and written a lot of new songs.  With this album, I’m gathering some very talented friends and heading into the esteemed Arlyn Studios to record a batch of songs that I consider to be among the best I have. I can’t wait to see what they become, and what happens within those walls during those 5 days."

If Nashville has their historic Studio A, Texas certainly has its near-equal in historic Arlyn Studio. Since 1984, Arlyn Studios has been a fixture and recording hub for Austin’s vibrant music community attracting the industry’s most legendary artists including: Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Sublime, Neil Young and Les Paul, to name a few.

Pledge opportunities range from $10 all the way to a $2500 full band house concert and everything in between. You can earn handwritten lyrics, signed album posters, autographed albums, vinyl albums and more. Jamie promises to update contributors to the process along the way. If you're passionate about good heartfelt traditional country music, I'd encourage you to go along for the ride with what promises to be a very special project.  Click HERE to go along for the ride.

[Exclusive Preview} Courtney Patton Reveals "Words To My Favorite Memory" From Upcoming 2/16 Release, What It's Like To Fly Alone

Thank you to Courtney Patton for sharing this exclusive reveal of her new song "Words To My Favorite Memory" with the readers of That Nashville Sound. The track is off of her upcoming album, What It's Like To Fly Alone, set for release on 2/16. Preorders are available at www.courtneypatton.com.

Harlan Howard might have been the first to mutter the famous phrase that country music was, “Three Chords and the Truth,” but Courtney Patton has clearly made that her life mantra. Following her previous solo albums, Triggering a Flood (2013) and So This Is Life (2015), Patton has continued to draw on true life day-to-day autobiographical life experiences filled on her third album, What It’s Like To Fly Alone, to be released February 16, 2018.

Fresh off her second annual Hard Candy Christmas Tour with friends and fellow respected artists Sunny Sweeney, Jamie Lin Wilson and Brennen Leigh, Patton is quickly becoming a driving force within the Red Dirt and Texas music scenes and beyond. Patton married fellow musician Jason Eady in March of 2014 and together, they released the collaborative project, Something Together, in January of 2017.

Patton explains the genesis behind the project, “The album is titled after one of its songs, “What It’s Like to Fly Alone”. The title sounds melancholy, but the resolve isn’t. This record is full of songs about people who have had to “fly alone” in some way, whether through grief, loss, life choices, addiction or love. We have to work through our struggles, choose our own destiny, just like the characters in each song. We have to make ourselves happy. No one else can do that for us. I’ve been down in all of those ways, but I chose happiness. In the end, “flying alone” is soaring because you pick your path and you find your way.”

The album is phenomenal. In an era in which clichés and bravado is mistaken for bold noteworthiness, there’s something far more brave in peeling back highly personal and emotional open-book songs and delivering them with sensitivity and sentiment. Patton has done just that. She is the consummate storyteller on this project. Heartache isn’t just described, it’s tangibly felt.

Patton has called upon many of her musical friends to assist on the project. Chip Bricker, piano player with Gene Watson's highly acclaimed Farewell Party Band, is on keys. Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame member Lloyd Maines is on pedal steel. Heather Stalling (wife of Texas troubadour Max Stalling) is on fiddle, Jamie Lin Wilson (The Trishas), Dan Tyminski (Alison Krauss & Union Station) and husband Jason Eady are on background vocals. But after having fellow Texas troubadour Drew Kennedy produce her last album, Patton has taking the production reins this time around, further cementing this as her most personal work to date.

What It’s Like To Fly Alone track listing:

1. “Shove” (Courtney Patton)
2. “What It's Like to Fly Alone (Hawk Song)” (Courtney Patton)
3. “Round Mountain” (Courtney Patton, Larry Hooper)
4. “Open Flame” (Courtney Patton, Larry Hooper)
5. “I've Got One Waiting” (Courtney Patton, Matt Hillyer)
6. “This Road to You” (Courtney Patton, Micky Braun)
7. “Words to My Favorite Memory” (Courtney Patton, Larry Hooper)
8. “Sometimes She Flies” (Courtney Patton)
9. “Gold Standard” (Kelley Mickwee, Owen Temple)
10. “Devil's Hand” (Courtney Patton, Larry Hooper)
11. “Red Bandana Blue (Kent's Song)” (Courtney Patton)
12. “Fourteen Years” (Courtney Patton)

That Nashville Sound's Top 100 Songs of 2017 - A Year-End Best Of List



2017 has been another fabulous year of country music. Traditional country, bluegrass, modern country and Americana are all represented well and this list proves that out- we’ve cast a wide net over that definition of roots-oriented music.  Earlier this month, we unveiled our top albums of 2017, but here we tackle our favorite songs. Few are radio singles. But you probably knew that already if you read this site.

Here are the rules by which this list was selected. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2017, is an independent release not on any other project, or is an already-released single off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2016 or before, it couldn’t be included- even if it wasn't released as a single until 2017.

Looking back, there's some amazing songs that moved us more than all the others:

2016 - Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and the Sea"
2015-  Chris Stapleton - "Tennessee Whiskey"
2014 - Emily West - "Made for the Radio"
2013 - Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
2012 - Waylon Jennings - "I Do Believe"
2011 - Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin'"
2010 - Joe Diffie - "Route 5 Box 109"
2009 - Dean Brody - "Cattleman's Gun"
2008 - Jamey Johnson - "In Color"
2007 - Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder and Lead"

Let us hear what you think. Anything we missed? Without further ado, here is That Nashville Sound’s Top Songs of 2017. Each song is linked so you can hear it for yourself by clicking on the link.

The Very Best:

 
 1. Sunny Sweeney – “Bottle By My Bed” - What stands out as her most astounding musical achievement is the heart-wrenching, emotional powerhouse, honest and autobiographical "Bottle By My Bed." Written about her battle with miscarriage and difficulty conceiving, it easily shows how tragedy can transform a piece of art and give it a substance filled with pain, guilt and regret that oozes from every pore of this song. It makes you ache listening to this song.

          2. Jason Eady – “Waiting to Shine” – There are several songs off his outstanding self-titled album that could take this spot, but this particular track stands out above all others. The ultimate singer-songwriter sings of chasing the ultimate song and it's absolute perfection. Eady has done it again with a project that digs deep with a production that allows that storytelling to breathe.

    3. Drew Kennedy – “When I'll Miss You Most” – My family sat around listening to this track earlier this week and had a fascinating experience. This tale of loss and looking back on yesterday was interpreted by my wife as lost love. I envisioned looking back on an old town you were from. My son had the protagonist looking back at his youth. Kennedy says it's a story extrapolated from a 80-something  widowed man going down his drive to pick up his newspaper thinking about his wife. That just might be the genius of the track- so brilliantly and poetically pieced together that the listener can immerse themselves in it and find their own story.

       4. John Mayer – “In the Blood” – So it wasn’t officially released as a county single, but some life breathed into it by Sirius XM has uncovered this nugget that has more country roots than more singles played on that station. The song debates just how much we actually control our destiny or how much it controls us. It’s deep nature vs nurture stuff.

         5. Liz Rose – “Grocery Money” – She’s written smash hits for the likes of Little Big Town and Taylor Swift, but Rose takes the center stage for the first time this year on her solo debut. And she hits it out of the park on this track about how a Mom turned a weekly shopping trip into a lifetime of special memories for her daughter despite barely making ends meet. This might be the finest image painted in lyrics on any release this year.

  6. Brent Cobb – “Ain't A Road Too Long” – Swampy. Groovy. Soulful. This might have the best guitar riff of anything we've listened to all year long. Cobb's unique vocals are a callback to the best of 1970's southern rock icons like the CDB and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Terrific stuff.

  7. Radney Foster - "Belmont and Sixth" - “For me, the goal of writing is always to touch that one person so much that they wonder how I got a peek into their living room–how I understood exactly what they felt,” says Foster about his process. “More than just rhyming or having a pretty melody, I try to express a part of the human condition that can make someone want to laugh, cry, make love, or all of the above.” One of our favorite tracks of the year comes from this project with “Belmont and Sixth.” It’s a heartbreaking look at the plight of a homeless vet and the reaction he gets (and doesn’t get) from a daily passer-byer.
 

8. Erin Enderlin - "Broken" - There wasn't a more fragile song released this year. Enderlin takes on the power of a generational shadow and how, like a compass, it points you in directions whether you want to go there or not. "Broken family trees" have a tendency to do that. It's a punch to the gut emotionally. And genius.

9. Lee Brice - "Boy" - Brice's stint on Curb Records has been a steady output of songs of content and consequence. "Boy" continues this streak. In this observation on fatherhood, he sends a dedication to his son filled with advice and subtle reminders that it's all been done before with Brice himself. It's a loving tribute that anyone with a child of their own will find common ground with and personalize.

10. Chris Stapleton - "Midnight Train To Memphis" -  Yes, we know this is a cover of his own song with the Steeldrivers. But this is a whole new Stapleton this time around. With a raucous array of gritty guitars backing him up, he lets his vocal rip through this fantastic rocker.

Cream of the Crop (Top 35):

Alan Jackson - "The Older I Get"
Jason Eady – “Where I’ve Been”

Jason Eady – “Not Too Loud”

LANCO – “Greatest Love Story”

Midland – “Drinkin’ Problem”

Love & Theft – “Love Wins”
Scotty McCreery - "Five More Minutes"

Steve Moakler – “Wheels”

Ashley McBryde – “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”

Chris Stapleton – “Second One To Know”
Chris Stapleton - "Tryin' To Untangle My Mind"
Chris Stapleton - "A Simple Song"

Tony Jackson – “The Grand Tour”

Glen Campbell – “Just Like Always”

Jason Isbell – “White Mans’ World”

Jason Isbell – “If We Were Vampires”

Pistol Annies – “Tulsa Time”

Carly Pearce – “Every Little Thing”
Rhonda Vincent & Daryle Singletary - "Golden Ring" and "After the Fire Is Gone"
Hannah Blaylock - "Fences"
Big & Rich - "My Son" (featuring the Issacs)
Drew Kennedy - "House"
Lee Ann Womack - "The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone"
Blake Shelton - "I Lived It"
Dillon Carmichael - "Old Songs Like That"

Upper Crust: (Top 70)

Jennifer Paige – “January”

John Baumann – “Old Stone Church”

Saints Eleven (featuring Courtney Patton) – “Let Them Go”

Candi Carpenter – “Burn the Bed”

Aaron Watson – “Run Wild Horses”

Band of Heathens – “All I’m Asking”

Jason Eady – “Black Jesus”

Jason Eady – “Barrabas”

Sunny Sweeney – “Pass the Pain”

The Mavericks – “Damned (If You Do)”

Joey Feek – “See You There”

Trace Adkins – “Watered Down”

Brad Paisley (with John Fogerty) – “Love and War”

Brad Paisley – “Gold All Over The Ground”

Chris Stapleton – “Either Way”

Willie Nelson – “Your Memory Has a Mind of It’s Own”

Tony Jackson – “Old Porch Swing”

Maggie Rose – “Body on Fire”

Jake Worthington – “A Lot of Room To Talk”

Natalie Hemby – “Cairo, IL”

Brantley Gilbert – “Three Feet of Water”

Brett Eldredge – “Somethin’ I’m Good At”
Will Hoge - "Little Bit of Rust"
Erin Enderlin - "Ain't It Just Like A Cowboy"
Joe Nichols - "We All Carry Something"
Brett Eldredge - "Superhero"
Lee Roy Parnell - "Tied Up and Tangled"
Cadillac Three - "Demolition Man"
Emily West - "Symphonies"
Hannah Blaylock - "Should've Been"
Chris Young - "Where I Go When I Drink"
Lee Ann Womack - "Mama Lost Her Smile"
Carly Pearce - "I Need A Ride Home"
Granger Smith - "When The Good Guys Win"
Donna Ulisse - "A Little Past Lonely"

Best of the Rest (Top 100):

John Schneider – “How Do You Stop The Water”

Willie Nelson – “Delete and Fast Forward”

Ray Scott – “Growin’ Old”
Tony Jackson – “They Lived It Up”

Lindi Ortega – “Waiting ‘Round To Die”

Lady Antebellum – “Hurt”

Steve Moakler – “Steel Town”

Lila McCann – “Still ChooseYou”

Little Big Town – “Drivin’ Around”

Marty Stuart – “Air Mail Special”

Marty Stuart – “Wait for the Morning”

Joey Feek – “Southern Girl”

Chris Stapleton – “Broken Halos”

Zac Brown Band – “My Old Man”

Natalie Hemby – “Worn”

Natalie Hemby – “This Town Still Talks About You”
Will Hoge - "The Grand Charade"
Will Hoge - "17"
Parmalee - "Savannah"
Caroline Jones - "Country Girl"
Cadillac Three - "American Slang"
Hannah Blaylock - "Bandit Queen"
Big & Rich - "Freedom Road"
Midland - "Out of Sight"
Jerrod Niemann - "God Made A Woman"
Drew Kennedy - "Cream and Sugar"

Radney Foster - "For You To See The Stars"
Blake Shelton - "The Wave"

That Nashville Sound's Top Albums Of 2017- A Year-End Best Of List

2017 has been a decidedly interesting year when it comes to measuring the divide between what's defined as commercially and critically acclaimed.

On one hand, you have terrestrial radio which continues to put out male-dominated uptempo numbers that borrow more from pop rock production than they do the steps that the founding country mothers and fathers laid down for them to get there. That's not to say that everything on the radio is that way or everything on the radio is bad. There's some terrific songs receiving airplay that will certainly be on our Top Songs of 2017 list that will be coming out later. It's just that we lament their lack of diversity. Country casts a huge shadow across a number of different sub-genres including bluegrass, Red Dirt, Americana, Countrypolitan, traditional, inspirational and more. As this list below will show, there are contributions that are incredibly powerful beyond the narrow boundaries of that radio dial.

To prove this point, recent best-selling albums that have led the charts include Chris Stapleton, Joey Feek, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Willie Nelson- all artists with virtual no radio support. There's still an audience for all everything under the country umbrella.

Here's a list of our favorite albums over the last few years for comparison:

2005 - Gary Allan - Tough All Over (tie)
            Lee Ann Womack - There’s More Where That Came From
2006 - Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
2007 - Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Raising Sand
2008 - Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy
2009 - Eric Church - Carolina
2010 - Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give
2011 - Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels
2012 - Marty Stuart - Nashville Volume 1- Tear The Woodpile Down
2013 - Brandy Clark - 12 Stories
2014 - Don Williams - Reflections
2015 - Chris Stapleton - Traveler
2016 - Ryan Beaver - RX

The amount of great music that has been released into 2017 has been nothing short of remarkable, however. We live in an incredible time. The internet, YouTube and digital platforms give independent artists a more playing field to get their music heard than ever before and as a result, we have more options at receiving that music than at any time in our history. But a handful of those releases stand out above all others. That's where this list comes in. These are the albums that struck an emotional chord and moved this listener to fall in love with their projects over and over again.

1. Jason Eady - Jason Eady - Any casual reader of this site has heard us pontificate at the genius of Eady's storytelling on TNS favorite albums like When The Money's All Gone and AM Country Heaven. And while Money still resonates as one of THE great albums of the last decade, Jason Eady might be its equal. Eady finds inspiration- and passes it along in his storytelling- in 10 songs about the ups (and mostly) downs of love and life. Words and lyrics aren’t just spoken, they’re painted on a auditory canvas. Feelings bleed their way throughout the album like an emotional blanket. It’s storytelling depth with an eye for detail hardly seen across any genres in modern music. Tracks like "Barabbas," "Black Jesus," "Not Too Loud," and "Where I've Been" are modern-day Don Williams-like crafts of art. But its "Waiting To Shine" that stands out above all others. The ultimate singer-songwriter sings of chasing the ultimate song and it's absolute perfection. Eady has done it again with a project that digs deep with a production that allows that storytelling to breathe. Lyrically, it's damn-near perfect.

2. Erin Enderlin – Whiskeytown Crier- She is the highly acclaimed songwriter behind songs “Monday Morning Church” by Alan Jackson, “Last Call” by Lee Ann Womack, and a number of other songs from Randy Travis, Terri Clark, Joey + Rory and Tyler Farr among others. She’s enlisted a who’s who of friends and authentic country artists to assist on the project including Jamey Johnson and Jim “Moose” Brown handling producer duties. Artists assisting with vocals on the project include Chris Stapleton, John Scott Sherrill, Randy Houser and Ricky Skaggs. Of the song themes, even Jamey Johnson—the mostly-dour-topic troubadour who co-produced the album—was worried that this group of songs might be collectively too dark. “Can you believe that?” laughs Enderlin. She almost proudly exclaims, “Jamey thought my songs were too sad.” The stories only further exemplify Enderlin’s fantastic ability to carve a story out of the trials and tribulations of small-town America.

3. Drew Kennedy – At Home In The Big Lonesome- It makes only sense in a year in which Texas native Drew Kennedy had much of his home state seriously damaged by a ravaging hurricane that his 8th album would be his most serious and intimate to date. For those that believe Texas is filled with just honky-tonk and swing music, this project borrows more from James Taylor and Don Williams than it ever does Asleep at the Wheel. It's excellence beyond expectation and compare. Drew has always been an intellectual writer, but he has hit his stride on this unbelievable album. From the opening piano-laden track "When I'll Miss You Most," he reaches right in your chest and grabs hold of your heart. For anyone who has experienced loss, it's beautifully tragic and meaningful all at once. Not a word is wasted and the production allows the lyrics space to live like Walt Whitman's finest prose. Song after song, you come to the realization that each and every song is just so damn smart. On "Cream and Sugar," he has me crushing so hard on the waitress and stranger he's describing, my wife ought to be jealous. Kennedy's gift is that he can find the beauty and specialness of what typically goes unseen. Whether that's an old motel sign or the feeling of the breeze upon your skin, he has a poet’s knack for creating visual and tactile image from a spoken word. “This is the story of what life is like for those of us somewhere in the middle of it all,” Kennedy says. “It’s about the journey to get to this point, and the giant question mark-shaped path we’re following onward from here. Of how even the best-laid plans for your next big step have to so often be altered because life calls.” It's not that what Kennedy says is overly profound- although there are parts of the project that are emotionally heavy. (A home imploding on "House" comes to mind.) It's that what he says is overly interesting. You find yourself hanging on each sentence and lyric because they deliver an observation in a way that you haven't heard before. This is a storyteller songwriting at the very peak of expertise. It makes up one of our very favorite albums of 2017.

4. Sunny Sweeney - Trophy - Sunny Sweeney is the daylight AND the dark on this incredibly crafted album that has our favorite song of the year on it.  There's an incredibly open and honest depth and brazen authenticity to this project that connects straight to your soul. While Sweeney wrote with her longtime favorites including Monty Holmes, Buddy Owens and Jay Clementi, she has expanded her circle of collaborators in recent years including co-writes with Lori McKenna, Caitlyn Smith, Heather Morgan. It resulted a decidedly female percentage of voices and a collection of songs that are more profound than any found on Sweeney's previously outstanding two projects. What stands out as her most astounding musical achievement is the heart-wrenching, emotional powerhouse, honest and autobiographical "Bottle By The Bed." Written about her battle with miscarriage and difficulty conceiving, it easily shows how tragedy can transform a piece of art and give it a substance filled with pain, guilt and regret that oozes from every pore of this song. It makes you ache listening to this song.

5. Chris Stapleton - From a Room, Volume 1 - One of the hardest things to do in entertainment (and sports) is to follow-up an amazing performance/project with another one- particularly when that first one is a your solo debut like Traveler was for Stapleton. That's where the story is wrong, however. Stapleton is can't suffer from the sophomore slump because he's a seasoned pro with bands like the Steeldrivers and Brothers Jompson under his belt. This project doesn't transcend Traveler, but it certainly extends that story, delivering emotive fare with that distinctive delivery that is pure Chris Stapleton and no one else. "Second One To Know" and "Either Way" stand out as favorites on the project.

6. Various Artists - Gentle Giant - The Songs of Don Williams -  It becomes clear from the very first song that this tribute to country music great Don Williams including performances by Pistol Annies, Brandy Clark, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Chris Stapleton, Alison Krauss, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Trisha Yearwood, Keb' Mo' and Garth Brooks is going to be special.  The ties that bind are the incredible stories and songwriting that the severely underrated Don Williams has crafted over many decades of performances and for the most part, the list of artists invited to cover his songs do a masterful interpretation. Sidenote: Williams' longtime producer and friend Garth Fundis produced the tribute album.


7. Jason Isbell and the 400 - The Nashville Sound - Without exaggeration, Jason Isbell has become one of the most respected and celebrated songwriters of his generation. He possesses an incredible penchant for identifying and articulation some of the deepest, yet simplest, human emotions, and turning them into beautiful poetry though song. Isbell sings of the everyday human condition with thoughtful, heartfelt, and sometimes brutal honesty, and the new album is no exception. He alternates between lovely, pensive ballads (The Last of My Kind, If We Were Vampires), guitar rockers (Cumberland Gap, Hope The High Road), and in-betweeners (White Man's World, Molotov). All the while, Isbell's lyrical blend of introspection, social consciousness, hope, despair, love, fear, and beauty, encompasses what the best music was made to do: stir up as many emotions as possible.

8. Various Artists - Outlaw - Celebrating the Music of Waylon Jennings - On July 6, 2015, a collection of music's legendary outlaws and rising superstars came together for a once-in-a lifetime concert in Austin, Texas, to celebrate the life and music of country music legend Waylon Jennings. The concert featured performances by Chris Stapleton, Shooter Jennings, Jessi Colter, Bobby Bare, Lee Ann Womack, Buddy Miller, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgrave, Jamey Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Bingham, Alison Krauss, Toby Keith, Eric Church, and Willie Nelson. It's completely as bad-ass as it sounds. The only criticism is that it took nearly two years to get in our ears.

 9. Lee Ann Womack – The Lonely, The Lonesome and The Gone – These days, her music isn’t about chasing radio fads or the latest trends in musical stylings. Womack has found her own personal muse and groove over her last few album introductions and it’s all about emotive lyrics that draw you into each song. She sings to us, she doesn’t holler. To clarify that, it’s not about the range of her voice or the high notes that she can hit. It not that her voice isn’t beautiful, it’s that she uses it in an understated way to convey the most meaning. Instead of layering her voice over and over in production, her back-up is a trailing steel guitar. It creates an intimate album that’s both lonely and inspiring at the exact same time. The song topics have onion-level layers that open up with each progressive listening.

10. Chris Stapleton – From A Room, Volume 2 – The world was graced with not one, but two different Stapleton offerings this year. Each was a delicious treat but #2 was especially so for its raucous delivery of the old Steeldrivers song “Midnight Train to Memphis” and the introspective and beautiful “A Simple Song.”  Stapleton has evolved his own unique blend of soul and country and America has responded with album purchases not seen since Taylor Swift rewrote country album sales records. We can only be so blessed as to have Stapleton be so prolific in the near future.

11. Glen Campbell - Adios - In the throws of his well-documented early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease three years ago, Campbell entered the studio with family at this side and made a final album filled with songs that unintentionally say goodbye.  Produced by Glen's longtime banjo player and friend Carl Jackson, the album features Glen singing four Jimmy Webb songs that Glen never recorded but always loved, including the title track. Adios features songs written by Roger Miller, Bob Dylan, Dickey Lee, Jerry Reed, Fred Neil, and includes a duet with Willie Nelson on "Funny How Time Slips Away" - and special guest Vince Gill on harmony vocals in "Am I All Alone (Or Is It Only Me)." The album is a true family affair as Glen's daughter Ashley and sons Cal and Shannon, all perform on the record.  "Just Like Always" is among his very best work of his career.

12. Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child - At 84, his voice is diminished and that distinctive guitar play on old Trigger isn't as nimble as it used to be. But Nelson's ability to craft and select songs is better than ever. Cover to cover this album speaks to the soul. Mickey Rachael's harmonica work glows throughout the recording beautifully. It's an album about mortality but done "Willie-style" with lots of silly humor and even some pathos for the loss of his good friend, Merle Haggard. "Old Timer" reflects on his age incredibly well and "Delete and Fast Forward" and "Your Memory Has A Mind of It's Own" stand out as tracks for the ages.

13. Natalie Hemby - Puxico - She's written songs for Lee Ann Womack, Eli Young Band, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Sunny Sweeney and Little Big Town- but it wasn't until she used her hometown as inspiration, that Hemby has let her own voice rise through her debut project. The songs are stripped back, often with sparse instrumentation to leave room for Hemby's lilting vocals to permeate the track. Her lyrics offer depth and thoughtful imagery, avoiding the cliches of many songs in the country world. They recognize the details of growing up as a child and paint an imagery that's incredibly easy to see in the mind's eye. Hemby references specific families, places and memories of the town her grandfather lived in and on which he left a lasting effect. And yet, the songs paint a landscape to which anyone who longs for open spaces, peace and the beauty of rural life can relate.

14. Radney Foster- For You to See the Stars – Criminally under the radar was this combination book and terrific album from one of country music’s most respected writers.  Among the tales Foster conjures up in his collection are the story of a retired spy in New Orleans, the tale of a Dallas lawyer wandering the Rocky Mountains in search of redemption, and a post-apocalyptic parable of a world in endless war. “For me, the goal of writing is always to touch that one person so much that they wonder how I got a peek into their living room–how I understood exactly what they felt,” says Foster about his process. “More than just rhyming or having a pretty melody, I try to express a part of the human condition that can make someone want to laugh, cry, make love, or all of the above.” One of our favorite tracks of the year comes from this project with “Belmont and Sixth.”  It’s a heartbreaking look at the plight of a homeless vet and the reaction he gets (and doesn’t get) from a daily passer-byer.

15. Angaleena Presley - Wrangled - If there’s a pedigree for a modern country music star, then Angaleena Presley fits all of the criteria: a coal miner’s daughter; native of Beauty, Kentucky; a direct descendent of the original feuding McCoys; a one-time single mother; a graduate of both the school of hard knocks and college; a former cashier at both Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie. Her sass shines through as 1/3 of the supergroup Pistol Annies and it bleeds over on this project as well. Each song on this album features sharp lyrics, sublime melodies, strong performances and appropriate production, with Presley cool, calm and collected at the center of it all.

16. Hannah Blaylock – Bandit Queen – Perhaps best known for her work with the band Eden’s Edge, Blaylock has been actively performing solo and songwriting in Nashville since the trio’s break-up. Driving through Texas in early 2016 seeking the inspiration for the next chapter of her musical career, she connected with one of her biggest heroes, Emily Robison of The Dixie Chicks. She started writing with Emily and her husband, Martin Strayer. That led to Martin producing her debut solo album. The project is a fantastic blend of Americana and Country with dark mysterious themes and stories full of characters. There’s not a more fantastic vocalist in all of Nashville (and beyond) and you deserve to put some ears on this and see for yourself what a wonderful project it is.

17. Midland- On the Rocks – On the surface, this retro-looking trio looks a bit out of place with the polished stuff that (mostly) makes up the big-label rosters. The result was a neo-traditional surprise hit that brought twang back in the coolest way and introduced a more classical sound back into the country radio airwaves. It was a breath of fresh air to have their (mainly) acoustic driven harmonies and fun lyrical content to offset the synthetic sounds of drum machines.

18. Will Hoge- Anchors- After a truly brilliant album release in 2015 with Small Town Dreams, Will Hoge delivered another fantastic album entitled Anchors. Will Hoge stands as a shining star example about how you can carve out a career in music doing it independently. Despite a year-and-a-half stint with Atlantic Records, Hoge has developed a significant following of fans and produced ten albums over the course of the last two decades. An extremely prolific songwriter, Hoge has written a small catalog of songs for others and even received a Grammy nomination for Eli Young Band’s number one hit, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” Songs like the acoustic-led country weeper "Angels Wings" and the Tom Petty-esque closer "Young As We Will Ever Be," that contemplates the constant drip of time, are tied together as they reveal that which makes us human. Good can come from bad and pleasure comes from overcoming the darkness. Hoge has a knack of revealing the small details that tell a bigger picture.

19. Tony Jackson - Tony Jackson - This album belongs on this list, if only for his soulful cover of George Jones' "The Grand Tour."  It's sublime. The rest of the project find squarely in the traditional country genre and fits Jackson's tenor and voice perfectly. Check out "Old Porch Swing" and the dedication to those artists that inspired him to get into music, "They Lived It Up."

20. Alison Krauss - Windy City -  From the minute that Krauss opens her mouth on the first and title track, she has you hooked. Quite honestly, she could sing the phone book with that ethereal voice of hers and I just might have to sit down and listen. Her voice caresses the mic with the tender touch of a velvet glove. It’s expressive. It’s personal. And it draws you in like a whisper on a wind. That fragility is transferred best to songs that share the same sense of frailty.  The lyrics she sings and inquiries she pose hang there in the air like a ghost to the ears.

21. Charlie Worsham - Beginning of Things -  The clever, quirky Beginning of Things comes as a surprise to some, but a long-awaited delivery from those of us that fell in love with 2013's Rubberband.  Worsham indulges in being a little bit all over the map as he shifts directions from song to song, moving from gentle fingerpicking folk to simmering soul- throwing in a good measure of his trademark humor along the way.

22. Brandy Clark - Live From Los Angeles - It seems only appropriate that Clark's old-school approach to songwriting would result in this, a Record Store Day project that was only available in vinyl. This live album features recordings from one of Clark’s acoustic shows at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and features a total of 11 songs off of her previous albums 12 Stories and Big Day in a Small Town. While it doesn't feature anything new, the stripped down acoustic set and audience interaction/stories make it a delightful listen from someone who is at the very top of her craft when it comes to telling a story.

23. Jason Eady and Courtney Patton - Something Together - Thoroughly enjoyable duets by two incredible talents. These new acoustic recordings are familiar but have a new sound and feel, and remind that it is a joy to have this married couple collaborating together. There's not much new here, but the interpretations and singing on each other's "fan favorites" like "Lonesome Down & Out," "Man on a Mountain," "So This Is Life."and "Cry Pretty" give them a new auditory feel not heard on their first album release.

24. Darin and Brooke Aldridge - Faster & Farther - The North Carolinian husband and wife team have hit their stride with this outstanding new bluegrass release filled with incredible musicianship and rich harmonies. Faster and Farther, their sixth project for Mountain Home Music, has an infectious energy that has so much to like. Yet it's the soaring and impeccable vocals of Brooke Aldridge that are the repeated highlights of the album. Her voice is commanding and match the production perfectly. Taking nothing away from Darin's tracks, each time Brooke takes the vocal reins, her beautiful delivery delivers on nearly every song. All in all, this is a project that delivers incredibly well and should be in a music collection for anyone who is a fan of modern bluegrass.

 

25. Ray Wylie Hubbard- Tell The Devil I’m Getting There As Fast I Can- Ray Wylie Hubbard is a Texas legend in every sense of the word. It also marks as the title track from his fantastic new album, featuring two Americana giants Lucinda Williams and Eric Church, the latter of whom name-checked Hubbard in the song “Mr. Misunderstood” last year. "'Tell the Devil' is a rock & roll fable about hanging your life on a guitar, holding onto a dream no matter what or how long it takes, wagering your soul in a crooked game and falling in love with a badass tattooed woman. . .hmmm, maybe it isn't a fable,” says Hubbard. And that kind of philosophical observation is what makes Hubbard’s projects so intriguing. He’s like the wise man that you climb the mountain for a nugget of wisdom.

26. Joey Feek - If Not For You - This album belongs on this list if almost only for sentimental and historical reasons. Feek's well-documented lost battle with cancer last year sets the stage, but it's this "lost" album that was never released on a short-lived solo major-label signing that takes the spotlight. Feek's vocals shine like they always have as part of Joey + Rory and she sings to us from the other side with stunning tracks like "See You There" and "Southern Girl."

27. Jake Worthington - Hell of a Highway - I have to admit that I'm not a fan of NBC's The Voice and as a result, hadn't had an opportunity to hear young Worthington sing until I hosted him at my Golf & Guitars Music Festival in Sacramento in May. Shy and unassuming, this Texan blew away the crowd in our singer/songwriter night with a deep holler voice that reminds of Randy Travis and Mark Chesnutt and a delivery that has an ability to wrench every drop of emotion out of every single line of lyric. I do not overstate the fact that his performance wowed/stunned the first night audience and that was with incredible songwriters performing with him by the likes of Jack Ingram, Jamie Lin Wilson, Drew Kennedy and more. Worthington is the absolute real deal and this EP balances equal parts traditional honkytonk dance numbers and weepers. He nails them both. Our only criticism is that it being an EP, there's just not enough songs on the project. More Jake is a very good thing.

28. Cadillac Three- Legacy – I believe that Southern Rock falls under the greater umbrella of country music. Bands like the CDB and Lynyrd Skynyrd could be argued to be more connected to country music than much of what gets radio airplay today. No one did this genre better than this rocking trio did on their album Legacy. The lap steel keeps it country but these guys put out infectious hard rocking grooves on their own tracks again and again and again. They dare you not to tap your foot along with their traditional southern themes.

29. Brett Eldredge- Brett Eldredge- Eldredge has quietly evolved into one of country music’s most-respected male vocalists. (If you’ve ever heard him cover Frank Sinatra, you’d clearly see why.)  On this, his third album (fourth if you consider last year’s Christmas project), he’s hitting his stride with both ear-worm fun on “Somethin’ I’m Good At” or the heartfelt “The Reason” and “Brother.”  It’s when Eldredge slows it down and croons when he’s at his very best, letting his vocals take over with texture and a soulfulness that’s rich with emotion.