Full Reviews Index
Bob Dylan - 'Christmas in the Heart'
Bob Dylan made a Christmas album. Now he can hopefully check that one off his list and go back to what he does best: everything else. There has been quite a bit of discussion and anticipation surrounding 'Christmas in the Heart'. Few people ever expected to hear a full album of Christmas songs from Dylan, who grew up Jewish and was a born-again Christian for a time, but who has, generally stuck to the more secular. Now we know why - Dylan's voice and talent is not tailor made for holiday music.
Emmitt-Nershi Band - 'New Country Blues'
Emmitt-Nershi Band is one of those all-star troupes you can't really fault for anything. Their musicianship is tight, their songs hop and bound in the most intuitive and engaging ways. 'New Country Blues' is a testament to the unending evolution of contemporary bluegrass, pulling influence from traditional and modern forms.
Joan Baez - 'How Sweet the Sound'
Joan Baez has, through the work she's done, made the world a little bit of a better place. Few people would argue with that. Case in point—the new documentary in PBS' American Masters Series: 'Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound'.
Steep Canyon Rangers - 'Deep in the Shade'
Steep Canyon Rangers were named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2006 IBMA Awards. Not only are they a great live band, but their recordings have generally captured that energy quite well. Not so with the latest, 'Deep in the Shade'. It's not that it misses the mark or comes off poorly, the album simply hangs still.
Avett Brothers - 'I and Love and You'
The Avett Brothers are a good band. They pull from so many different styles of music, integrating elements of pop and country, bluegrass and rock into their music. Their live shows are hugely energetic community bouncefests. All that energy is difficult to translate to a recording, but the Avetts have managed to do just that with every disc they've released. 'I and Love and You' is a more polished, earnest departure. For the most part, it even works.
Woody Guthrie - 'My Dusty Road'
Woody Guthrie was, without question, one of the greatest artists to ever lend his talents to the evolution of American folk music. He wrote thousands of songs in his lifetime and recorded hundreds of them. While many of his compositions are still being discovered, this box set from Rounder Records presents 54 songs preserved remarkably well on their steel masters. The sound quality is remarkably clear and the energy on this discs is palpable.
The Bottle Rockets - 'Lean Forward'
The Bottle Rockets know how to rock out. Excuse me for stating the obvious, but sometimes it needs to be said. On their latest album, 'Lean Forward', the St. Louis-based alt-country band wastes no energy leaning forward full throttle into some remarkable shredding guitar solos and straight-up danceable rhythms.
Sam Baker - 'Cotton'
Sam Baker has been working on a trilogy of albums about mercy, and 'Cotton' is the final remarkable entry in that project (his 2004 debut 'Mercy' kicked it off, followed three years later by 'Pretty World'). Indeed, it's an ambitious project for a songwriter to commit to one theme for three albums, but Baker delivers swimmingly yet again.
Dale Ann Bradley - 'Don't Turn Your Back'
Dale Ann Bradley has been voted the IBMA's favorite female vocalist a number of times, and with good reason. Her sweet soprano is honest and nuanced. She throws in a little flourish here and there but mostly sticks to the notes as written, managing to deliver considerable feeling through them. While her vocals are as outstanding as ever on 'Don't Turn Back', the disc doesn't soar from start to finish the way 2006's 'Catch Tomorrow' did.
Bryan Sutton and Friends - 'Almost Live'
Bryan Sutton is in good company, not that he needs it. That he was able to get the artists represented on this album together in one place at one time is, in itself, a feat. From Almost Live's opening notes on "Morning Top," it's clear that this is a collection of some of the finest instrumentalists in contemporary bluegrass and Americana.
Slaid Cleaves - 'Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away'
Slaid Cleaves has long been considered one of the finest under-appreciated, under-known singer-songwriters on the contemporary folk/Americana scene. His latest effort, 'Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away' only adds to his excellent canon of work.
Shawn Colvin - 'Live'
Shawn Colvin is one of contemporary folk music's finest live performaers. She doesn't dance about or shred on her instrument. Instead, she stands (or sits) still, calmly delving into the deepest - and frequently darkest - reaches of her psyche. With little or no physical affect she delivers pure emotion. When she addresses the audience, it's with wry wit and charming stories. All these things are captured on her latest live album.
Sarah Jarosz - 'Song Up In Her Head'
Sarah Jarosz is still a teenager - a fact that makes her debut more remarkable. Joining a line of teen talents to hail from bluegrass, Jarosz draws influence no doubt from the teenagers who preceded her. She's also managed to surround herself with the same folks who helped launch those folks' careers. The result is a community effort album that seeks to lift Jarosz above the din of bluegrass-influenced artists breaking onto the national radar, and succeeds.
Todd Snider - 'Excitement Plan'
Todd Snider has, for more than two decades, been one of the best mostly-under-the-radar singer-songwriters in contemporary folk music. His songs have ranged from hilarious, endearing narratives about workaday life to hard-biting protest songs. On his latest album, he tends more toward the former, but one thing is certain. Above all else, Todd Snider is an excellent storyteller, and 'The Excitement Plan' is a tremendous example of this skill.
Michelle Shocked - 'Soul of My Soul'
When Michelle Shocked burst on the scene now nearly 20 years ago, her earnest narrative folk songs spoke of personal struggles, longing, love, and other universal themes. While she's since explored various world music styles, gospel, rock, and now folk-soul-rock, her songs have retained a certain honest clarity about life's greater truths. Though 'Soul of My Soul' is full of great songs, its songs seem more geared to Bush-era policies and issues and, as such, less than timely.
Gregory Alan Isakov - 'This Empty Northern Hemisphere'
Gregory Alan Isakov has been up-and-coming for some time, but his third self-released album, 'This Empty Northern Hemisphere', is poised to be his breakthrough. With original lyrics which straddle longing, nostalgia, and heartache, Isakov delivers songs that defy categorization and speak to more universal truths. Backed by Brandi Carlile on a handful of tunes (with whom he's currently on tour), Isakov delivers one of the best breakthrough albums of recent note.
Emmylou Harris - 'All I Intended to Be'
When you have a voice like Emmylou Harris, you may as well sing the saddest songs you can find. Even the title of this record, 'All I Intended to Be,' is drenched with sadness and regret. Joined here by some of Nashville's finest musicians—Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Stuart Duncan, and others—Harris delivers just what you'd expect from her at this point: a heart-wrenching album full of sad, lonely songs with lines that tug hard and cry harder.
Steve Earle - 'Townes'
Steve Earle's tribute to his songwriting hero Townes Van Zandt seems to have been a very long time coming, even though it's only been talked about for a little while. Considering Earle's reverence for Van Zandt's extraordinary body of work, it's hardly surprising that this tribute disc is one of the best of the year.
Paleface - 'The Show Is on the Road'
Paleface told me in a recent interview that this record was focused on songs that are fun to play on the road, and that level of live energy is easy to find throughout the aptly titled 'The Show Is on the Road'. Read a full review of Paleface's 12th release, featuring Seth Avett, released on Ramseur Records April 28, 2009.
Sara Watkins - Self-Titled
Sara Watkins may still be best known as the fiddling third of the prodigious trio Nickel Creek, but her solo album draws a solid line between what she has to offer as a solo artist and the work of her former band mates (although both Chris Thile and her brother Sean are all over this disc).
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - 'Lonely Street'
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver are one of the most respected bands in contemporary bluegrass. They're highly decorated with awards and accolades, and they've earned every single one. 'Lonely Street' is a welcome addition to the band's canon of albums, spotlighting their skillful vocal harmonies and exceptional instrumental performances.
Eilen Jewell - 'Sea of Tears'
Eilen Jewell's 2007 breakthrough album, 'Letters from Sinners and Strangers' (actually her second release), introduced an incredible songwriting talent to the world. The buzz around her third effort has been long and loud, and 'Sea of Tears' easily meets those expectations.
David Wilcox - 'Open Hand'
David Wilcox has long been one of contemporary folk music's highly respected singer-songwriters. His lyric-driven compositions tell stories about life's struggles and surmounting obstacles. Wrought with heartache, transcendence, compassion, and confusion, Wilcox doesn't shy from touching on the wide breadth of human emotion. His latest disc, 'Open Hand' is no exception.
Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press - 'Bluegrass & Beyond'
Bobby Osborne is a fixture in the modern bluegrass scene, and has earned his place among the genre's greatest legendary contributors. His latest album with the Rocky Top X-Press, 'Bluegrass & Beyond' is, for the most part, an excellent collection of traditional-style bluegrass and fiddle-heavy gospel tunes.
The Almanac Singers - 'Songs of Protest'
The Almanac Singers were one of the first, most influential groups of protest singers in the history of contemporary American folk music. Singing labor songs in union halls and daring to use music to speak out against oppression, the Almanacs have moved generations of topical singers to action. Their 'Songs of Protest' is easily one of the best recordings in the history of folk music.