Aaron Watson - Red Bandana (21/06/19)

• Artist: Aaron Watson

• Release Date: 21st June, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Rock, Americana

• Record Label: Big Label Records

• Tracks: 20

• Website: https://www.aaronwatson.com/

We are big fans of West Texas native Aaron Watson and his last album ‘Vaquero’, so we were very excited to review his brand new album ‘Red Bandana’. Very rare for modern Country music, all twenty new tracks are written by Aaron himself and he comments that it’s ‘an album I've been working towards my entire career. There are 20 songs and they represent each of the 20 years I've been blessed to play shows and make country music'.

This is an excellent album with wonderful songwriting and arrangements from one of the hardest working independent Country artists in the US. Highlights include ‘Ghost of Guy Clark’, ‘Dark Horse’, ‘Old Friend’ and ‘Riding With Red’. But the entire album is very strong and you can probably find your own personal favourites. Every track of this super album is also underpinned by strong narrative storytelling.

Please order your personal copy below >>>

Jenny Tolman - There Goes The Neighbourhood (19/07/19)

View fullsize

• Artist: Jenny Tolman

• Release Date: 19th July 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Pop, Singer-Songwriter

• Record Label: Jenny Tolman

• Tracks: 13

• Website: https://www.jennytolman.com/

‘There Goes the Neighborhood’ is a great album by Jenny who was hailed by Sound Opinions as a “storyteller par excellence. A member of a high-class, white trash welcoming committee, an observant woman who sees other people on her own fictitious block through a humorous, surface-scraping veneer”. Jenny conveys her songs with “the sass of Nikki Lane mixed with the clever wordplay of Brandy Clark,” according to Rolling Stone.

Jenny grew up in Nashville, the daughter of a talent buyer who started in music as a member of a barbershop quartet, the Indian River Boys. Interacting as a concert professional with the likes of Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and The Oak Ridge Boys.

Building the album as a cast of characters allowed Jenny to inject pieces of her own personality into each storyline without making it entirely autobiographical. She casts the other women’s eccentricities with stark humour, then takes a deep dive into the dark corners of her own self-doubt.

Please order your copy below >>>

Ilse DeLange - Gravel and Dust (06/09/19)

• Artist: Ilse DeLAnge

• Release Date: 6th September 2019

• Genre: Americana, Country Pop

• Record Label: Universal

• Tracks: 10

• Website:

Please order your copy below >>>

Chatham County Line - Sharing The Covers (08/03/19)

• Artist: Chatham County Line

• Release Date: 8th March 2019

• Genre: Americana, Bluegrass

• Record Label: Yep Roc

• Tracks: 13

• Website:

North Carolina-based ensemble Chatham County Line will return with their eighth studio album this spring titled Sharing The Covers. The album is, at its core, a tribute to those whom Chatham County Line hold dear, and a chance for the group to perform modern and traditional classics in the bluegrass-style they're known for best. On the 13-track collection, CCL takes the familiar and adds a touch of originality to create a wholly new and inventive roster of covers by Tom Petty, Alton Delmore, John Lennon, The Louvin Brothers, Beck, James Hunter, and more.

Please order your copy below >>>

Runaway June - Blue Roses (28/06/19)

• Artist: Runaway June

• Release Date: 28th June 2109

• Genre: Country, Country Pop

• Record Label: Wheelhouse Records

• Tracks: 10

• Website:

Please order your copy below >>>

Orville Peck - Pony (22/03/19)

• Artist: Orville Peck

• Release Date: 22nd March 2019

• Genre: Country

• Record Label: Sub Pop

• Tracks: 11

• Website:

Combining the lulling ambience of shoegaze with the iconic melodies and vocal prowess of classic American country music, enigmatic outlaw cowboy - Orville Peck, croons love and loss from the badlands of North America. The resulting sound is one completely his own, taking the listener down dusty rose-colored desert highways, through a world where worn out gamblers, aloof road-dogs and lovesick hustlers drift in and out of his masked gaze. Orville's upcoming debut album, Pony, delivers a diverse collection of stories that sing of heartbreak, revenge and the unrelenting tug of the cowboy ethos. Warm lap steel guitars and echoing drums move through dreamy ballads, campfire lullabies and sometimes frantic buzzsaw tunes, all the while paying homage to his country music roots. Orville's music has been featured by Nylon magazine, ID mag, Vice, The Needle Drop, as well as numerous Apple Music and Spotify playlists. He has also had magazine features in New York's Hello Mr. and the UK's Notion.

Please order your copy below >>>

Lainey Wilson - Redneck Hollywood EP (13/09/19)

Artist: Lainey Wilson

Release Date: 13th September 2019

Genre: Country, Americana

Record Label: Broken Bow Records

Tracks: 4

Website:

Please order your copy here >>>

Lady Antebellum - Ocean (15/11/19)

• Artist: Lady Antebellum

• Release Date: 15/11/19

• Genre: Country, Country Pop

• Record Label: BMLG Records

• Tracks: 13

• Website:

Please order your copy below >>>

Luke Combs - What You See Is What You Get (08/11/19)

• Artist: Luke Combs

• Release Date: 8th November, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country-Rock

• Record Label: River House Artists/Columbia Nashville

• Tracks: 17

• Website:

Order your copy below >>>

Jenn Bostic - Take My Hand - Part 1 (19/11/19)

• Artist: Jenn Bostic

• Release Date: 19th November 2019

• Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Soul, Blues, Country, Gospel

• Record Label: Jenn Bostic Music

• Tracks: 6

• Website: http://jennbostic.com/home

Miranda Lambert - Wildcard (01/11/19)

• Artist: Miranda Lambert

• Release date: 1st November 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Pop, Country Rock

• Record Label: Sony Music CMG

• Tracks: 14

• Website:

This is an excellent seventh studio album by one of the US country music superstars. 'Wildcard' moves from fraught, taut rock & roll to gentle folk, classic Wurlitzer country and a bit of funky gospel, with Miranda’s signature wit and tongue-in-cheek humour permeating throughout.

Order your copy below >>>

Tanya Tucker - While I'm Livin' (23/08/19)

View fullsize

• Artist: Tanya Tucker

• Release Date: 23rd August, 2019

• Genre: Country, Americana

• Record Label: Concord Records

• Tracks: 10

• Website: https://www.tanyatucker.com

Tanya Tucker’s first album in 17 years which signals the return of this country music icon. This album is a musical biography of sorts narrated by the greatest country and western singer this side of Johnny Cash.

Please order your copy below >>>

Country Squire - Tyler Childers (02/08/19)

View fullsize

• Artist: Tyler Childers

• Release Date: 2nd August, 2019

• Genre: Country, Americana, Folk

• Record Label: RCA

• Tracks: 9

• Website:

‘Country Squire’ is the eagerly awaited follow-up to ‘Purgatory’ and the third album from Kentucky country singer-songwriter Tyler Childers. It’s full of rough-hewn honky-tonk and Americana along with great observations on Southern life. We love the attention to detail and his wonderful ability to draw you into the song.

Tyler is rapidly gaining the recognition that he richly deserves. Not two years ago, he was another unknown wave of excellent country artists coming out of Kentucky. Born in Lawrence County and raised in Paintsville, he gigged around the area for years, eventually roping Johnny Cash’s engineer David Ferguson and friend/fellow Kentuckian Sturgill Simpson to produce his last album ‘Purgatory’. That album found an immediate fanbase, racked up startling streaming numbers and soon Tyler was opening for John Prine on the road and Margo Price at the Ryman.

Have a listen and let us know what you think?

Please order your copy below >>>

Midland - Let It Roll (23/08/19)

• Artist: Midland

• Release Date: 23rd August, 2019

• Genre: Country, Country Rock, Americana

• Record Label: Big Machine Records

• Tracks:

• Website: https://www.midlandofficial.com

‘Let It Roll’ is the excellent second album from Austin based Country Rock trio Midland. One thing that really stands out on the album is its wonderful production quality coupled with retro style Eagle’s harmonies and well written songs with memorable hooks.

Midland hark back to to the days of real Country Rock music and they have a great time doing it. Their songs are infectious and the trio ooze’s charisma. Penned by Jess Carson the opener and title track ‘Let It Roll’ puts their harmonies to the fore while providing an earworm melody. The rockier ‘21st Century Honky Tonk American Band’ moves them in a new direction. and is one of the highlights on the record.

As with their debut album ‘On the Rocks’, ‘Let It Roll’ showcases Midland’s versatility and strengths. The sumptuous ‘Cheatin’ Songs’ reference a trope of the Country music genre and it sounds wonderful. One of my favourite tracks ‘‘Put the Hurt On Me’ proves that the band are adept at stirring ballads as they are uptempo jams. Mark Wystrach’s vocal is so good on the track, showing a little more soul than we’ve heard in the past.

Elsewhere on the record the breezy ‘I Love You, Goodbye’ is destined to become a live favourite, ‘Cheatin’ By the Rules’ sounds like a lost gem from the golden age of Country music, and ‘Playboys’ pretty much sums up the band’s work hard, play hard ethos. Cameron Duddy takes the lead vocals on the dreamy ‘Lost in the Night’ while Jess Carson gets a chance to shine on album closer ‘Roll Away..

Another of my favourites on the album is ‘Every Song’s a Drinkin’ Song’ is almost the follow up to the bands breakthrough hit ‘Drinkin’ Problem’. The vocals are on point, the instrumentation is perfect, the harmonies are excellent and the bands personality drips from every single lyric.

Order your copy below >>>

The Highwomen - The Highwomen (06/09/19)

LCM ALBUM OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2019

View fullsize

• Artist: The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires + special guests)

• Release Date: 6th September, 2019

• Genre: Country, Americana

• Record Label: Low Country Sound / Elektra Records

• Tracks: 12

• Website: https://thehighwomen.com

The Highwomen is a new collaborative movement formed by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. The collective's highly anticipated self-titled debut album, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, released via Low Country Sound/Elektra Records.

Continually demonstrating the importance of inclusion and collaboration, The Highwomen are joined by several guest musicians, vocalists and songwriters across the album. The project features Sheryl Crow (background vocals, bass), Yola (vocals, background vocals), Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar), Jason Isbell (acoustic/electric guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass, background vocals), Tim Hanseroth (guitar, background vocals), Chris Powell (drums) and Peter Levin (piano and keyboards) with songs written by Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, Isbell, the Hanseroth twins, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna, Miranda Lambert and Ray LaMontagne among many others.

We love the very clever lyrics throughout and the collaborations work perfectly. It’s one of our favourite albums so far this year.

Don’t be surprised if this album features in a lot of Country award lists in the future. Highly recommended

Please treat yourself to a copy below >>>

Jamestown Revival - San Isabel (14/06/19)

• Artist: Jamestown Revival

• Release Date: 14th June. 2019

• Genre: Americana, Folk, Country

• Record label: Jamestown Revival Recordings

• Tracks: 11

• Website: https://jamestownrevival.com

After meeting as teenagers in the small town of Magnolia, TX, Clay and Chance went on to self-release their debut album, Utah, in 2014 followed by their acclaimed 2016 album, The Education of a Wandering Man. Of the Austin-based pair, Consequence of Sound declares, "...one of the country's preeminent Americana duos," while CMT praises, "...an eclectic style of alt country for hearts who live to ramble." Building a fan base through grassroots support, Jamestown Revival has toured relentlessly over the past four years, performing at iconic venues from the Ryman Auditorium to Red Rocks Amphitheater as well as countless festivals such as Coachella, Austin City Limits, Stagecoach, and more.

Highly Recommended

Pre-order your copy below >>>

Emma Stevens - Atoms EP (10/05/19)

View fullsize

• Artist: Emma Stevens

• Release Date: 10th May, 2019

• Genre: Singer-Songwriter

• Record Label: Bright Star Records

• Tracks: 5

• Website:

Order your copy for the link below >>>

Joy Williams - Front Porch (03/05/19)

• Artist: Joy Williams

• Release Date: 3rd May, 2019

• Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Americana, Country

• Record Label: Sensibility Recordings

• Tracks: 12

• Website: http://www.joywilliams.com

The excellent second studio album from Joy, who was part of the Grammy award winning The Civil Wars.

Pre-order your copy below >>>

Katy Hurt - Unfinished Business EP (22/03/19)

View fullsize

Artist: Katy Hurt

Release Date: 22nd March, 2019

Genre: Country, Country Rock, Country Pop

Record Label: Katy Hurt

Tracks: TBA

Website:

Mile Twelve - City On A Hill (29/03/19)

Artist: Mile Twelve

Release Date: 29th March, 2019

Genre: Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Roots

Record Label: Delores the Taurus Records

Tracks: 10

Website: https://www.miletwelvebluegrass.com

Although their sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, ‘City on a Hill’. All five band members bring their own influences and observations into the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant. Produced by Bryan Sutton and engineered by Ben Surratt, ‘City on a Hill’ follows significant recognition from the bluegrass community, including three IBMA Momentum Awards. With members based in Boston and Nashville, the lineup includes David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Evan Murphy (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals).

Order your copy below >>>