The Backlog: October + An Anniversary
Ten albums get reviewed. Post Malone is the biggest, but others surpass in quality. And a brief discussion of a surprising anniversary.
Ten albums. A nice even number. Somewhat heavy on Texas. No problem as far as I am concerned. Some of the best music put out in 2024 has been from the Panhandle and under.
Before diving into the reviews, an acknowledgement needs to be made. A very important anniversary just passed. Precisely ten years ago, as of October 24th, Sam Hunt released Montevallo, his full length debut record. It really doesn't feel like it was that long ago, but perhaps our collective memories have been warped by the pandemic. To its credit, the songs were played continuously on both radio and streaming playlists for years after release. That might also explain why it doesn't quite feel as old as the age would indicate.
Initially, when sketching out some of the planned articles for the upcoming year, I intended on doing a proper longform breakdown of the record and the strong influences it had to the genre. As it were, the recent Thomas Rhett themed piece from last month touches on a good deal of the same themes and ideas. It then felt somewhat superfluous to dive into a Hunt piece that would cover similar ground.
To summarize the most important parts of the Thomas Rhett piece. The pandemic changed the trajectory of trends within country music in a way that was unexpected and it caused a sharp break from the past. Artists reacted in different ways and lasting consequences occurred.
The article shined a light on Rhett, but much of this idea applies equally to Sam Hunt. If music insiders would have been polled circa 2017 or so and asked “who is the most influential artist operating in Nashville right now?” Undeniably the answer was Hunt. His Drake cribbing, genre-bending, southern pop style mixed with a sensitive millennial persona was a dramatic change from the dominant early decade trends.
Quickly enough the copycats followed, and as we have discussed in the Tucker Wetmore piece, copycats indicate a strong level of influence.
This copycat movement shifted the tenor of Nashville. A metropolitan musical and cultural sensibility became pervasive in the latter half of the decade, ultimately culminating in what was referred to derisively as boyfriend country.
The pandemic-charged abrupt end of that sound and the stark shift towards organics and less pop focused material did not benefit Hunt. Certainly there were odd marketing decisions surrounding following up content that played a role in the struggling continuation from a smash half decade, but the broad strokes narrative as penned vis. Rhett holds true. Times changed too quickly for Hunt to change alongside them.
So ends the brief and fleeting omni-dominance of Sam Hunt. Happy ten year anniversary to what could have been an all time influential record, but is now instead a remarkable footnote.
And now, some reviews. I have twenty in the can ready to go, but with the lengthier intro, I decided to split them in two parts.
Brief reminder about the Country Subgenre Numbering System. Albums usually don’t fall neatly into any one category so the subgenre’s are listed in order of most to least present.
1- Traditional Country
2- Country Rock
3- Modern Country
4- Pop Country
5- Southern Pop
Silverada (the band formerly known as Mike and the Moonpies) - Self Titled
-Tracks: 10
-Time: 43 min.
-Subgenre: 1, 2
Best in class country band (neck and neck with The Wilder Blue) demonstrates why their reputation is deserved. Deep understading of space and time allows for full and rich tracks that consistently stretch the five minute mark without overstaying their welcome. A credit to the professionalism and depth in every step of the process.
Favorite: Radio Wave, Eagle Rare, Wallflower
Least Favorite: Something I'm Working On (ft. Brent Cobb)
Wade Bowen- Flyin
-Tracks: 12
-Time: 48 min.
-Subgenre: 2, 1, 3
This definitively demonstrates why, even at a veteran stage of his career, Bowen is a VIP member of the Texas country elite. Although his offering is less traditionally Texan in presentation than an Aaron Watson, Bowen fluidly melds all of his strengths (songwriting, singing, perspective, wit, interpretation, emotive ability, distinct sense of melody) and fuses them into one of his best albums yet.
Favorite: Mary Jane, The Request, Hiding Behind This Microphone
Least Favorite: Friday Night
Corey Kent- Black Bandana
-Tracks: 10
-Time: 33 min.
-Subgenre: 2, 3
Long time readers know that I've been on the Corey Kent bandwagon for a long while. My biases lean towards his early material. Wild As Her was a smash that pushed him strongly towards rock. This latest iteration to his sound and style brings back some of the finesse and lyrical perspective that made me originally connect with his work. It only does so in parts, with the remainder falling prey to the deep disconnect between glazed over Nashville rock and thin vocals that no amount of professional studio work can juice enough to work cohesively.
Favorite: Never Ready, Now Or Never (ft. Lauren Alaina), So Far
Least Favorite: Rust
Miranda Lambert- Postcards From Texas
-Tracks: 14
-Time: 45 min.
-Subgenre: 3, 1, 2
The most Miranda of any album she’s released. Jon Randall produced record plows established ground but with more depth and thoroughness than previous albums hemmed in by mainstream aspirations. Shines especially in sincere moments. Not that Lambert gets majorly vulnerable, never her strength, but something endearing shines through. Texas plays a larger role, much hinted at since Marfa tapes. A later stage essential listen for even the casual Lambert fan.
Favorite: Looking Back On Luckenbach, Santa Fe (ft. Parker McCollum), January Heart
Least Favorite: Wrangler
Post Malone- F-1 Trillion: Long Bed
-Tracks: 27
-Time: 1 hour, 27 min.
-Subgenre: 3, 4, 2, 1
To Malone’s credit, he went straight to the center of country music to partner up with ostensibly the best the genre has to offer. While commercially that may be the case, unfortunately qualitatively that is not true. In a moment of deep and delicious irony, the most country, authentic, and storytelling forward moments all occur on Malones's solo tracks. Those tracks are surprisingly solid even though his ragged voice is left wanting. Even granting the limited vocal demands of the genre.
Favorite: California Sober (ft. Chris Stapleton), M-E-X-I-C-O (ft. Billy Strings), Yours, Dead At The Honky Tonk, Killed A Man, Go To Hell, Who Needs You
Least Favorite: Wrong Ones (ft. Tim McGraw), Finer Things (ft. Hank Jr.), Goes Without Saying (ft. Brad Paisley), Hey Mercedes.
Laci Kaye Booth- The Loneliest Girl In The World
-Tracks: 15
-Time: 50 min.
-Subgenre: 4, 5, 3
Languid bordering on sleepy vocals provides a lush and atmospheric dreampopish approach tracing Booth’s personal and commercial journeys. Often intensely personal perspectives are difficult to stretch beyond the niche audience, but this album only struggles with universality in parts. Things move slowly here, gambling on the writing and vocal work to keep audiences engaged. Even granting the two or three duds, this album portends a strong future for Booth.
Favorite: Cigarettes, The Loneliest Girl In The World, True Love, Hang On Houston
Least Favorite: Sometimes, South
Matt Castillo- Pushing Borders
-Tracks: 14
-Time: 46 min.
-Subgenre: 1, 2
Mid year release, but I only got around to it recently. Sneaky album of year contender. Tex-Mex Country. Pinch of 90s, pinch of Ranchero/Tejano, large doses of accordion and steel guitar. Need I say more?
Favorite: Go Get Her, Running, Te Necesito, Trail Of Love
Least Favorite: Good Thing Going
Drake White- Low Country High Road
-Tracks: 13
-Time: 44 min.
-Subgenre: 2, 3
More of White’s now trademarked “snarly blues rock with a sensitive soul hidden within the bluster”. White has been perfecting this formula and this is his best execution yet. Builds wonderfully on 2022’s underrated The Optimystic. White’s medical issues really derailed his career momentum. A real pity for such a prodigious voice, talent and perspective. Do give this a listen. First half of the album is my preferred half.
Favorite: Miracles, 10 lbs Of S***, The Last Time, Everyday Yours, Life Love and War.
Least Favorite: Wildflower, Tequila Mockingbird
MacKenzie Porter- Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart
-Tracks: 19
-Time: 58 min.
-Subgenre: 4, 5, 3
Was fully expecting to dislike this. Porter always struck me as the typical overblown female pop country starlet. Big vocals, glossy and shallow everything else. That assumptions was somewhat shown to be wrong. The vocal work shines as expected. Texture and depth played a larger than expected role. Dobro, fiddle and mandolin all make appearances, breaking up the monotony of the clearly-aimed-straight-for-radio sound. Thematically basic. Love lost, love found, trying to make it as a singer etc… at least she manages to occasionally show minor complexity within otherwise straightforward narratives. It's still way too long, but Big Loud is Big Loud so I didn't expect anything different.
Favorite: Young At Heart, Rough Ride For A Cowboy, Wrong One Yet, Nightingale, Sucker Punch
Least Favorite: Easy To Miss, Have Your Beer
Midland- Barely Blue
-Tracks: 8
-Time: 28 min.
-Subgenre: 2, 1, 3
Midland expands their sound but keeps to the ‘70s for inspiration. The glossy Californian inspired sound is lovely on the ears, and the obvious vocal talent is fronted appropriately, but a lack of punch creates a languide sensibility that doesn't necessarily elevate beyond background pleasantries.
Favorite: Better Than A Memory
Least Favorite: Vegas
Thanks for reading! Gonna aim for a quick turnaround on the other half of these reviews. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to leave a comment.
-Joe