Also, the new Josh Kelley album that premiered on NPR today is some great stuff. @cshadows2887, it reminded me of Marc Cohn mixed with Jackson Browne. Definitely recommended.
Thanks Craig I really appreciate this. I'd just noticed the original post in this thread and had started to work my way through a couple of them before getting distracted by the football. I'll be sure to check these recs all out at work tomorrow. Also I think you and Chris were talking about Ryan Culwell on the first page. That's right up my street and I've just added flatlands to my phone.
Culwell is great too. There are a couple of songs I don't love on that record, but it's pretty admirable how he sticks to this stark vision all the way through. And the high points are ridiculously high.
I WILL CRAIG MANNING. I WILL. on that note, I'd love for him to do another Ashes and Fire kind of album.
Holy shit @Craig Manning you were not kidding about some of New Lane Road sounding like Marc Cohn. The verse melody on "Call It What It Is" is SO spot-on Really good record, but how are you going to pick a turd like that as a title track?
Vocally, he reminded me a lot of Cohn on this record too. Which is funny, because I've listened to a lot of his past records, but I've never heard that comparison before. I like the title track, but it's probably my least favorite on the record. Favorite might be the closer.
There are a lot of quality songs on here. I'd need more spins to pick favorites. But I hate that pander-y, desperate title track, and there's one forced upbeat song whose name escapes me that sticks out like a sore thumb.
New Avett Brothers single "Ain't No Man" is up on streaming services today. It's definitely not was I was expecting, but it got me bobbin my head. Really excited for this True Sadness.
I started on working my way through some of the artists in the first post today. I'm really enjoying delving into all this. So far I've worked my way through Quiet Little Room by Mandolin Orange, Somethin More Than Free by Jason Isbell and Traveller by Chris Stapleton. I liked all 3 but Traveller has definitly hit me harder than the rest.
Anyone checked out Whiskey Myers? They've got some good jams...Turnpike Troubadours are one of the more talented full bands out there, great song writing.
Obsessed with Hal Ketchum's Past the Point of Rescue today. One of my all-time-favorite country records.
"Anywhere You Wanna Go" is the out of place upbeat song. Awesome that you're enjoying these. For Mandolin Orange, I recommend their last one, Such Jubilee over their other records. The others are good, but that one seems like them really finding their sound and using it to write interesting songs.
I feel like he could make a record where that would fit. Dude has been weirdly chameleonic throughout his career. But this record is not that record.
I didn't see a thread for Parker Millsap's The Very Last Day, so this seems like a fitting place to post about it. Anyways, he's playing in town (Chattanooga) tonight, and so I checked out the album without really knowing anything about him. I love it. "Heaven Sent" was the first song that I really fell in love with, but I've found after several listens that the rest of the album is equally strong. I'm definitely gonna check out the show tonight; I can only imagine how good his voice sounds live.
Loving all the recommendations in this thread...years ago I thought of all country as the 'bro country' stuff on the radio...turning into a favorite genre as I get older.
Been recommending this one for a few weeks now. Probably my favorite album of the year so far. "Heaven Sent" was the early highlight for me as well.