It's the fall, and that means we only have a few months left of new releases until year-end season rolls around. Perhaps it's a bit late for a mid-year report, but it's fine. I said this on Twitter the other day -- while 2022 has maybe not a marquee release as most other years do, it may be the deepest year of country music in recent memory. This was the easiest time I've had in a while compiling a list of albums I've genuinely loved from the calendar year, and I left a number on the cutting room floor as well. There's been such wide diversity in the sound and scope of 2022's releases, making it such an interesting year for music. It's honestly made me really optimistic, even if there isn't one title that grabs and defines the year. I've listed a small selection of honourable mentions, along with my ten favourite 2022 releases to-date. They're listed alphabetically by artist -- the order does not speak to preference (I'll save that for year end). It's been an awesome year so far, and there some more big names on the horizon that I'm looking forward to digging into. Let me know your thoughts and your own lists!

Honourable Mentions

Summertime Blues by Zach Bryan
Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle
Baker Hotel by William Clark Green
Strange Circus by IV and the Strange Band
River Fools & Mountain Saints by Ian Noe

British Columbia, my home province, is far from Pasadena, California, but it's not that far, and certainly it wasn't far enough to stop me from attending the Palomino Festival. Stacked with an array of my favourite acts, I decided I could not let the opportunity go to waste. It was worth it.

I walked in to Logan Ledger playing. Not someone I had ever heard of, and, with all due respect to Logan Ledger, not someone I paid any particular attention to. The show really started for me with Jamie Wyatt. She was excellent, and it's a shame such a small crowd was there for it. Perhaps the acts that surprised me the most were Amythyst Kiah and Sierra Hull. I was broadly familiar with both of their work, but had never really delved in or sat with it for any substantial period of time. Kiah commanded the stage with a hugely impressive vocal presence and Hull's raw instrumental talent was fully on display. They're both fully on my radar going forward. I was also keenly interested in Sierra Ferrell's set. I enjoyed her last album, but hadn't spent a ton of time with it. I was sure impressed though, by both the size of her crowd and the performance. She had the whole crowd captivated, and I can't help but think she won't be playing the early sets for long. After her, I went to check out the merchandise table, and it was a sight to behold. So much merchandise for so from so many of my favourite artists -- it was honestly a dangerous situation for my wallet. I spent some time simply admiring the view, and settled on a pricey poster and a nice Turnpike Troubadours t-shirt. 

The first major act I was looking forward to was Morgan Wade. I missed Paul Cauthen's set to wait up front to see her (to my understanding, nothing of value was lost), and she was excellent. Sadly, she didn't play my favourite track of her in "The Night", but she was still excellent, and the crowd reacted particularly fondly to "Matches & Metaphors". A guy complimented my American Aquarium shirt after the set, making for another win. After a slight break, I enjoyed Charley Crockett's set. He commands a stage, as many of said before and anecdotally, I perhaps saw more Crockett merchandise around the festival than any other act. He played his then-unreleased "I'm Just a Clown", and the crowd lost it for "Welcome to Hard Times". 

I left Bryan's set early, but with good reason. My personal highlight was seeing the Turnpike Troubadours, and I wanted to get right up near the front. People indeed went nuts for them, and rightfully so. They were tight, cohesive, and in top technical form. It was exhilarating seeing my personal favourite "7 & 7" performed, and of all their tracks, "The Bird Hunters" probably got the best reaction. It was a lot of fun, and just increased my appetite for new music from them. They were followed by Orville Peck, who I listened to from a far (I like Peck a decent amount, but folks, it was a long day), as well as Old Crow Medicine Show. Willie Nelson drew a huge crowd, and it was really cool to see him perform. 

The night finished with Jason Isbell and the 400 United and then Kacey Musgraves. Isbell was great, and I got decently close to the stage. "Dreamsicle" was my favourite performance, but the crowd obviously completely lost it for "Cover Me Up". I, along with the two men standing behind me, wished he'd have played "Elephant", but that's life. I've had a ticket to see Isbell that I bought prior to COVID, and it keeps getting rescheduled over and over again, so it was very nice to finally see him live.

My placement for Kacey was much, much further back, but it was fine nonetheless. She sounded great, but mostly played material from her (in my view) underwhelming star-crossed album. Still, she played a few tracks I loved from Golden Hour, "Lonely Weekend" and "Rainbow" in particular (I was shocked she didn't play "Space Cowboy". My read was that it was one of her signature songs). By far the highlight, though, was Willie coming out to sing "On the Road Again" with her. What a neat moment that was. By the end of her set, it was rather dark but still warm out -- a nice way to finish off an excellent day. 

Overall, it was more than worth the cost. The lineup lived up to the hype, and being surrounded by hundreds of fellow independent country fans was such a joy. What was most striking, though, was how well it encapsulated the diversity of the independent country scene. You had the more Blues-oriented sounds in Kiah, the bluegrass feel with Hull, more of a pop-country blend with the likes of Wade and Peck, the Red Dirt scene in Turnpike, and so much more. Country music doesn't have one specific sound, or look any particular way; it's a scene of complexities, and I think Palomino did a fantastic job of encapsulating that beautiful array of talent. Were the beverages a rip off? Of course. Especially the exchange rate to Canadian dollars (yikes). Was the poster expensive? Yes. But it was a lovely day and a stacked lineup, and overall an absolute joy. 

A pretty standard Cody Jinks album, and I say that mostly as a compliment. It's gritty, the hooks are sound, and Jinks sounds as good as ever. The songwriting is sturdy and the production feels both accessible and authentic. He's not reinventing the wheel, but when his formula works so well, he also doesn't need to. 
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A concept album that finds Simpson relying more on his preexisting strengths than pushing boundaries. And I don't say that as a bad thing -- it's refreshing to hear Simpson operate within his niche, telling interesting stories behind sturdy, organic arrangements, and sounding great doing it. A fairly compelling story arc that doesn't veer into cliche or pandering. If this is indeed Simpson's last solo effort, it's a fine one to go out on. 
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A highly competent piece of work that puts an interesting twist on traditional country concepts. Cilker is a compelling vocalist, and the songwriting is solid all throughout. I appreciate the somber textures all throughout. The talent is evident and I'm excited to hear more. 
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A gorgeous and personal neo-traditional effort, showcasing Pearce as a force of talent. In a year of high profile divorce albums, Pearce's stands above on the delightful and fulsome arrangements, and by her strength as a technical and evocative performer. It's an honest, and thoroughly country, album that announces Peace as a force in the mainstream. 
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#11
​The Comeback
​Zac Brown Band

Well-told stories, well sung, over a rock solid and sparse acoustic backdrop, The simplicity works, and allows Chaney's rich vocals and writing to shine, like a stripped down Tyler Childers. Much has been said about the Appalachian movement in country music, by smarter people than me, and Chaney is yet another solid product of the environment. An incredible introduction. 
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Novelty projects are risky in that they can be a flash in the pan just easily as they can be memorable and pivotal moments in a career. The Marfa Tapes is a huge win, putting smart writing behind a stripped down production scheme. Are the interludes a little cheesy? Sure, but honestly that's part of the charm. It grips you emotionally and at the same time is a lot of fun and incredibly compelling. 
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Rich in its sound and its storytelling, Godwin came into his own on How the Mighty Fall. He establishes himself as one of the most compelling interpreters and performers in independent country, and does so over a compelling group of songs. The production is unique and well-suited to the stories at hand. As someone who wasn't blown away by his debut, Seneca, Godwin has won me over with this effort. 
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A return that showcases why Carlile is regarded as a premier voice and pen in the country-adjacent world. In These Silent Times is both gritty and low-key, with sparse arrangements that allow Carlile's raw vocal talent to shine and her detailed, poetic lyricism to be fully appreciated. It's an effort that highlights all of Carlile's best traits and was well worth the multi-year wait. 
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#3
​The Horses and the Hound
​James McMurtry​

Equal parts poetic and gruff, McMurtry present profound stories and messages with an everyman's perspective. "Canola Fields", in its wisdom and reflection, may be the year's single finest track. This album is an impressive and deeply human portrayal of humanity that emphasizes McMurtry's skill as both as a songwriter and a performer. It's accessible, it's raw, and it taps into a range of human emotions. Truly exceptional. 
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For the beating that mainstream country took in our last list -- and rightfully so -- it's important to note that there in fact bright spots. Traditional sounds were by and large more prominent. Big name stars frequently took a more mature direction with their music, with pretty solid results. And a range of newcomers made a name for themselves with substantive, organic tracks. Undoubtedly, there is work to be done on country radio. It's all still pretty generic, hits take forever and a day to peak, and diversity remains a major problem. But foe now, let's look at twenty winning efforts that 2021 had to offer. 

I'm not sure I've paid less attention to mainstream country music than I have in 2021. I listened to a lot of country music still (though even outside the mainstream, the quality has been debatable), but as far as country radio goes, I barely, if ever listened. The charts increasingly became unrecognizable, and I have a hard time remembering the names of half the frat bros with #1 hits these days. I think there are a lot of reasons for it, but the word that comes to mind most often for me is 'cynical'. It all feels increasingly mass-produced and increasingly tailored to an audience that doesn't have any connection to the genre outside of putting on some Country Hits Spotify playlist in the background. It's all glossy, it's all surface-level, and it's all designed for instant gratification. 

And for all these qualms, the result isn't necessarily more dumpster fires. Sure, a handful of tracks embodied the true awfulness that often defines these Worst Of lists. But more than anything, mainstream country music has become aggressively and intentionally mediocre. Any 20- or 30-something white guy with a goofy haircut can release a C-rate pop song with a token banjo and score a top ten airplay hit, and it's all by design. Proving this whole point is that if these crappy hits result in an album release at all, it completely tanks. Brett Young, maybe the living embodiment of this trend, saw his most recent project come a pathetic 79th on the US Billboard albums chart. Russell Dickerson's newest came 134th. Ryan Hurd, 71st. These are artists with major radio hits and presences. There's no passion here -- just a faceless, dogmatic pursuit of being average that is quickly watering down the genre. 

Now, chasing a broader audience isn't inherently bad, and in fact, some do it quite effectively. Kacey Musgraves, Mickey Guyton, Eric Church, and others appear to have bridged the gap nicely, without completely selling their artistic integrity. But the way it's executed by the endless line of factory-produced hitmakers is a truly pathetic phenomenon to watch. 

Of course, there was good to come in 2021. Our best singles list will be coming shortly, and highlights artists operating within mainstream confines in a compelling fashion. For now though, here's what me and my good friend Zack Kephart see as the worst 20 radio singles of 2021. Enjoy, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

It's been a while since I've written up anything here, and even longer since I've looked at recent single releases. Life has certainly been busy, and to make up for it, I've taken a look at a bunch of releases on the airplay chart. It's a conversation for another day, but I think country radio is becoming increasingly bland and has a major sonic identity crisis. For now, here are my bite-sized takes on a number of radio hits. 

Mainstream country music has continued to delve further into patterns of repetition, relying on inauthentic productions and lifeless songwriting. Amid the storm of mundanity that is country radio, some voices have remained compelling and dedicated to crafting art worth not just listening to, but remembering. 

This year's group is an eclectic bunch, made of newcomers, established stars, and comeback stories. It's a group that showcases risk taking in an avenue that generally pushes back on it. Most importantly, these are tracks that are likely to hold the test of time and encompass the traditions of country music, whether in storytelling or style. Enjoy our top 20 radio singles of 2020, and have a very happy holidays!

In a year of tremendous turmoil, music served for many as an escape, as a comfort in times of despair. As we come to the end of 2020, we are able to reflect on the tracks that got us through these hard times. And within the coming days, we will certainly do this.

As is tradition, myself and my good friend Zackary Kephart (of The Musical Divide and Country Universe) count down our least favorite singles of the year. As a broad comment, this year was not so much a horrible one for mainstream country as it was uninspiring. New artists come out of the woodwork with generic word salads while the usual culprits remain in standard form. There will be ample celebration of the highlights, but for now, here are the 20 worst radio singles of the year that was 2020. 

After breaking down the worst mainstream country music had to offer in 2019, it's time to take a more positive look at the music that made our years. It's a diverse list that includes both radio smashes and commercial underdogs, and that covers the wide range of emotions and experiences that makes the genre so special. Here are the top 20 singles of 2019, brought to you as always by myself, Markus, and Zack. Let us know what your favorites were, and here's to another great year (and decade) of music!