Same. I think they changed hands maybe a year and a half ago, and they've kind of turned into an amateurish blog since then. My guess is they aren't paying writers as much as they used to!
To me, especially lyrically, "Peace" is too painful to be the ending. Despite the title, it's a song about deep doubts that things can ever be okay. You need the exhale of "Hoax". "No other sadness in the world could do." Yeah we're going to fuck each other up, but I've accepted that. It's worth the trade-off. It's her most well-thought-out sequencing in a career full of it.
Somehow we’re in the wrong thread! There’s definitely pain and fear in “peace,” but I hear it ultimately as hopeful. Maybe that’s a misread, but it just sounds so welcoming and warm from a sonic perspective that the sense I’m left with is “things aren’t going to be easy, but we’re going to make a go at it together.”
i've barely ever read saving country music, is it not good? only thing i've ever really heard is that the guy who runs it is kind of a dick.
He's not a very good writer and is pretty demonstrably a shitty dude, but occasionally surfaces good music that might otherwise go overlooked.
Hobo Cartoon is a real fucking treat if anyone's listening to the newest Sturgill. Merle Haggard wrote it on his damn deathbed.
"Forever For A Little While" and "Honey" were really the only ones that stood out; it's not total bro country, but it's not really good country either. Middle ground
Been revisiting this Loose Koozies album from earlier this year. Great stuff for a debut. RIYL: Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, American Aquarium, early Wilco
Probably way late to the party but I saw minimal talk of Parker McCollum. Just got his 2017 (Probably Wrong) and 2015 albums (Limestone Kid) sent my way and absolutely love them. His new ep that came out this year is pretty good too (Hollywood Gold).
I know some people in here read/follow/occasionally check Saving Country Music. I'd ask everyone to stop following or supporting that guy in any fashion. Apparently he's been vilifying several female journalists on his website, which has led to some pretty serious/scary harassment of those women from his readers. Here are a few Twitter threads about it, in case anyone wants to learn more. But yeah, totally done with this dude and his site.
Yeah the “he sucks but he gives good recs” see-saw eventually has to be tipped by just how much he sucks
funny that jason levelled a lot of the same fair accusations against kyle and yet kyle is only focusing on what margo said. hmmmmmm i wonder why that could be. what a mystery.
Posting my 2020 list in here and I've bolded/italicized the country or country adjacent albums on my list that I didn't see much talk about in this thread 1. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Everyone 2. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher 3. Ruston Kelly - Shape & Destroy 4. Katie Pruitt - Expectations 5. Stephanie Lambring - Autonomy 6. Brian Fallon - Local Honey 7. Tyson Motsenbocker - Someday I'll Make It All Up To You 8. Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers 9. Caityln Smith - Supernova 10. 49 Winchester - III 11. Gabe Lee - Honky Tonk Hell 12. Donovan Woods - Without People 13. John Moreland - LP5 14. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions 15. Taylor Swift - Folklore/Evermore 16. Hailey Whitters - The Dream 17. Movements - No Good Left To Give 18. Kelsea Ballerini - Kelsea 19. Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers 20. Field Medic - Floral Prince 21. Ruthie Collins - Cold Comfort 22. Richard Edwards - The Soft Ache and the Moon 23. The Chicks - Gaslighter 24. Lori McKenna - The Balladeer 25. Jeff Crosby - Northstar 26. Will Hoge - Tiny Little Movies 27. Charley Crockett - Welcome To Hard Times 28. Steve Moakler - Blue Jeans 29. Jill Andrews - Thirties 30. Tessy Lou Williams - Tessy Lou Williams