Courtney Marie Andrews — Honest Life

Courtney Marie Andrews has many accomplishments under her belt: playing with Damien Jurado, collaborating with Jimmy Eats World, touring internationally, producing the finest album of 2016 (this one.) She has one more important but dubious notch to add to her…

BJ Barham — Rockingham

BJ Barham, American Aquarium frontman, recently released his first solo album. Not surprisingly, all of the important things about American Aquarium are here — beautiful lyrics, hard-hitting songs. The main difference is that I don’t think the songs on Rockingham…

Kelsey Waldon — I’ve Got a Way

Kelsey Waldon’s sophomore release brings us back to the days when country music was plainspoken. Waldon, an East Nashville transplant from the tobacco town of Monkey’s Eyebrow, KY (really), knows how to craft a tune that is honest and sincere.…

Tatters & Rags — Salt

Though the hail from Brooklyn, there’s nothing smarmy or ironic about Tatters & Rags’ debut album. The band’s traditional(-ish) take on country and irreverent personality is reminiscent of Girls on Grass, with whom they often share a stage. My first…

Azores — Copper Beach

Bishops frontman Tucker Riggleman is a busy guy. Having released his own album recently, he’s loaned his talents to Azores’ debut full-length album, Copper Beach. If Dream Easy was a tsunami of id, Copper Beach is a study in anxiety.…

Cotton — All God’s Creatures Have Knives

When I took the record out of its sleeve, it was badly warped and had strange, rune-like markings along the vinyl. I threw it on my record player anyway. The sound came out herky-jerky, like an old recording from the…