The Leavelles’ Mostly True Stories is honest-to-goodness, back-to-basics country rock’n’roll. These guys are what speaks to me most in this corner of the music world: they sing humorous songs about serious subjects and don’t take themselves too seriously. That doesn’t…
So far I’ve seen a lot of surprise that Have Gun, Will Travel decided to do a concept album. While the subject — Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Atlantic Mission — is esoteric, I’m not surprised. The one song that still sticks with…
Samantha Crain’s fourth release is notable for its surefootedness. All of Crain’s songs are anchored on strong, straightforward melodies that are buttressed by her delicate lyrics. The album focuses on short stories that make the everyday lives of her characters…
One of the most surprising facts I learned at the Country Music Hall of Fame is that the Everly Brothers are members. I don’t really hear it — in my mind they’re very solidly a part of rock’n’roll, even if…
This may sound like an overstatement, but Chuck Hawthorne’s debut album, Silver Line, sounds to my brain like the platonic ideal of country music. This wasn’t a conscious decision. As I did the tourist thing in Nashville and stood on…