#10
Play On
Carrie Underwood

World: meet Underwood. She’s fiercely compassionate and endearingly idealistic (the riveting “Change”). She holds her beliefs with a firm but quiet conviction (“Temporary Home”). She’s as comfortable and convincing at tearing down a wrong-doer (the Dixie Chicks-esque “Songs Like This”) as she is nursing an irreparable heartache, whether it’s in the form of a haunting country standard (“Someday When I Stop Loving You”) or a rich pop ballad (“What Can I Say?”). And she’s one of the most gifted vocalists of this generation, possessing an instrument that, when colored and layered with emotion as she’s aptly learned to do on Play On, can have bone-chilling effects.

Like it or leave it, Play On is the most authentic encapsulation of Underwood’s artistry and persona to date, and serves as an exciting glimpse at how far a little growth can carry her. The best is yet to come, but in the meantime, the “good” is pretty damn good. – Tara Seetharam

#9
Sara Watkins
Sara Watkins

As most people know by now, Sara Watkins is the female member of the now-disbanded (hopefully temporarily) New Grass trio, Nickel Creek. While Nickel Creek was difficult to classify in a certain genre (not bluegrass, not country), they were embraced by bluegrass and country music fans alike. Each member of the popular trio has released intriguing projects outside of Nickel Creek, but Watkins’ album  has assumed the most decidedly country direction of them all. As a result, we are treated to a sublime album thanks to Watkins’ sweet voice and a set of impressively solid songs. – Leeann Ward

#8
Live at Eddie’s Attic
The Civil Wars

When Alabama singer/songwriter John Paul White and eleven-time Dove Award nominee Joy Williams formed the Civil Wars, their first release Live at Eddie’s Attic (available for free download) appeared to be purely publicity, not something one expects to be spectacular. Yet, Live at Eddie’s Attic is exactly that, excelling in the emerging acoustic movement that floats along the outskirts of country much like the most pop-oriented country radio fare, albeit in its own direction. – William Ward

#7
Live on the Inside
Sugarland

I’ve never heard a live album that has so made me long to see an act in concert. Sure, the live versions of the hits are solid, especially the marriage of “Joey” with Nightswimming,”  But it’s the broad selection of interesting covers that make this essential listening. Where else can you hear Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon songs alongside songs by The B-52′s and Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians? – Okay, fine. Satellite radio. But you won’t hear Nettle’s irreplaceable drawl wrapped around them anywhere else. – Kevin Coyne

#6
Revolution
Miranda Lambert

If Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was the album that commanded us to sit up and take notice of Lambert, Revolution is the album that lures us in, one intriguing, introspective song at a time. By shedding the authentic but limiting aggression-heavy skin of her previous album, Lambert is free to explore the complex of emotions behind her fierce persona, in songs that range from poking tongue-in-cheek fun (“Only Prettier”) to honestly and accessibly conveying love (“Love Song”). And it should be noted that, while Lambert has honed her songwriting skills to a tee on Revolution, her largely underrated vocal skills are perhaps equally superb on this album; this is no more apparent than on the touching, beautifully restrained “The House that Built Me.” – TS

#5
Written in Chalk
Buddy & Julie Miller

A textbook Americana album – textbook in the sense that it truly does blend a wide range of roots sounds, and in the sense that it’s really freaking good. What you get here is part warm country (“Ellis County”), part dirty rock ‘n’ roll (“Gasoline and Matches”), part quiet folk (“Chalk”), and even part slow-burning jazz (“Long Time”). The common thread is immaculately crafted melodies and productions which nail the essence of each song’s emotional point.
- Dan Milliken

#4
Willie and the Wheel
Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel

Three decades in the making, Willie & The Wheel came to us in a swingin’ flurry at the beginning of 2009, setting the bar so high for future albums that very few were able to outshine it. It’s one of those rare albums that sounds inspired from start to finish, as though not one single note of the wildly energetic, masterfully performed disc was taken for granted by its creators. Given the current musical landscape, Willie & The Wheel may feel like a tribute to Western Swing, but make no mistake: distinct and compelling, this is an album that embodies and, in many ways, enhances Western Swing – a classic on its own merits. – TS

#3
The Excitement Plan
Todd Snider

The Excitement Plan is more acoustic than some of Snider’s previous work (thanks to producer Don Was), but the clever turn of ideas and his trademark relaxed delivery is ever-present. As always, Snider gently pokes a stick at the world, along with himself, as he views life’s situations through his typically goofy, but insightful, lens. Album highlights include the retro-sounding “Don’t Tempt Me” (with Loretta Lynn), the self-aware/self-deprecating “Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number Ten)” and the simple “Corpus Christi Bay.” With a string of quality and engaging albums under his belt, it’s heartening that The Excitement Plan manages to be one of Snider’s most solid   projects so far. – LW

#2
Midnight at the Movies
Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle’s largest claim to fame is still a matter of his family tree, despite musical differences that, in many ways, make comparisons with his acclaimed singer/songwriter father quite challenging. Midnight at the Movies continues Justin’s argument for fame under his own merits, highlighting his less political and more personal writing with a warm voice much less worn than his father’s. It also provides one of the strongest songs of the decade, “Mama’s Eyes,” an epic wrapped up in a package so tiny it leaves you wondering how it was done. – WW

#1
Satisfied
Ashley Monroe

Satisfied was supposed to be released in 2006, but since the album did not produce any top 20 singles, Columbia Nashville held the album instead of officially releasing it. It did momentarily find its way onto digital retail outlets for a month, just long enough to gain hype by ardent supporters who recognized that Satisfied was a real gem that deserved to be officially released to the public. Fortunately, the powers that be at Columbia (though Monroe and the record label had long since parted ways) finally decided to re-release the digital version of the album in May 2009, this time for good.

While Monroe was merely nineteen years old when she recorded this album, she neither caters to the teen crowd nor overreaches to prove her maturity. Instead, her warm, clear crackling voice simply sings of what she knows. From her playful duet with Dwight Yoakam (“That’s Why We Call Each Other Baby”) to introspective compositions such as “Hank’s Cadillac” and the album’s title track, Satisfied is smart without being pretentious, contemporary without being bubblegum and traditional without being stale. – LW

]]> http://www.countryuniverse.net/2010/01/15/best-country-albums-of-2009-part-2-10-1/feed/ 49 http://www.countryuniverse.net/2009/12/01/100-greatest-albums-of-the-decade-part-2-90-81/ http://www.countryuniverse.net/2009/12/01/100-greatest-albums-of-the-decade-part-2-90-81/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:38:26 +0000 Kevin John Coyne http://www.countryuniverse.net/?p=13414 The 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2 #90 Miranda Lambert, Kerosene On her first major-label album, Lambert reveals herself as a fiery, spirited artist with a lot to say, and a clever voice with which to speak. Her sharp songwriting skills, though a work in progress as we’d later learn, take her naturally from aggression to desolation and back again. But most notably, through Kerosene, Lambert got the traditionalists to pay a little more attention to mainstream country music and its more promising artists. - Tara Seetharam Recommended Tracks: "Kerosene", "I Can't Be Bothered" #89 Kris Kristofferson, This Old Road This Old Road has not have received as much mainstream attention as Kristofferson’s recent appearance in Ethan Hawke’s Rolling Stone article; an unfortunate fact, given it was the legendary writer’s first album of new material in 11 years. With This Old Road Kristofferson shines a spotlight on the world much in the same his earlier writing shined a spotlight on himself. The result is an overtly political album with more depth than most modern attempts have been able to produce.- William Ward Recommended Tracks: "The Last Thing to Go", "Pilgrim's Progress"]]>

The 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 2

#90
Miranda Lambert, Kerosene

On her first major-label album, Lambert reveals herself as a fiery, spirited artist with a lot to say, and a clever voice with which to speak. Her sharp songwriting skills, though a work in progress as we’d later learn, take her naturally from aggression to desolation and back again. But most notably, through Kerosene, Lambert got the traditionalists to pay a little more attention to mainstream country music and its more promising artists. – Tara Seetharam

Recommended Tracks: “Kerosene”, “I Can’t Be Bothered”

#89
Kris Kristofferson, This Old Road
This Old Road has not have received as much mainstream attention as Kristofferson’s recent appearance in Ethan Hawke’s Rolling Stone article; an unfortunate fact, given it was the legendary writer’s first album of new material in 11 years. With This Old Road, Kristofferson shines a spotlight on the world much in the same his earlier writing shined a spotlight on himself. The result is an overtly political album with more depth than most modern attempts have been able to produce. – William Ward

Recommended Tracks: “The Last Thing to Go”, “Pilgrim’s Progress”

#88
Guy Clark, Workbench Songs

The recordings  of the songs that Guy Clark, one of country music’s most respected modern songwriters, has written for the most popular artists in country music are typically polished by the best Nashville musicians and slick producers. But Clark’s own albums tend to be more organic, with spare instrumentation that somehow manages to avoid sounding anemic as a result. His well worn voice sings these eleven melodically and lyrically strong songs with warmth and the kind of emotion that easily captures the listener. It’s one of the best albums of his deep catalog that spans over thirty years. – Leeann Ward

Recommended Tracks: “Walkin’ Man”, “Expose”

#87
Wynonna, What the World Needs Now is Love

It’s hard to believe that it’s been six years since Wynonna’s last proper studio album. This collection is easily one of her best, with effective covers like “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Flies On the Butter”, along with socially conscious material that provokes thought instead of pandering to already held beliefs (“It All Comes Down to Love”). – Kevin Coyne

Recommended Tracks: “Sometimes I Feel Like Elvis”, “Rescue Me”

#86
Lee Ann Womack, I Hope You Dance

The massively successful title track powered this album to triple platinum, but it also overshadowed the excellent songs surrounding it. For those who explored the album beyond track two, there were some of Womack’s finest moments on record, as she had the good taste to plunder the catalogs of Bruce Robison (“Lonely Too”), Bobbie Cryner (“Stronger Than I Am”), Julie Miller (“I Know Why the River Runs”), and Rodney Crowell (“Ashes By Now”). – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Lonely Too”, “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger”

#85
Chris Thile, How to Grow a Woman From the Ground

This is the first album from the band that would eventually become Punch Brothers. Garnering a Grammy Award Nomination in 2006, How to Grow a Woman From the Ground is a solid bluegrass album with classical sensibilities and extraordinary instrumentation. – WW

Recommended Tracks: “Wayside (Back in Time)”, “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”

#84
Ralph Stanley II, This One Is Two

Hyperbole alert, but it’s hard to think of a more beautiful-sounding traditional country album from this decade, or one which more comfortably merges old school aesthetics with modern production polish. Stanley corralled a number of meaty story songs here, but it’s the combination of his warm baritone and the lush instrumentation that gives this gem its quiet strength. – Dan Milliken

Recommended Tracks: “Cold Shoulder”, “They Say I’ll Never Go Home”

#83
Various Artists, Livin’ Lovin’ Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers

Tribute albums too often feel redundant, as well-meaning artists deliver nice but forgettable imitations of classic records. Not so with the Louvins’, which sticks veteran and current artists alike on the Bros’ close harmonies and sees each intriguing combination (Pam Tillis and Johnny Cash? Why not!) triumph. I daresay it’s as good an introduction to the duo’s work as any compilation of their own recordings. – DM

Recommended Tracks: “How’s the World Treating You?”, “Are You Teasing Me”

#82
Todd Snider, The Excitement Plan

Snider mostly avoids both political themes and complex arrangements on his latest record, emphasizing his greatest strength as a writer instead: his uncanny ability to make the most specifically personal have universal resonance. Listen out for a wonderful cameo from Loretta Lynn on “Don’t Tempt Me.” – KC

Recommended Tracks: “Barefoot Champagne”, “Money, Compliments, Publicity (Song Number 10)”

#81
Mark O’Connor, Thirty-Year Retrospective (Live)

Mark O’Connor’s Thirty Year Retrospective is a double instrumental album of his live performance with Chris Thile, Bryan Sutton and Byron House.  The album covers a wide range of Mark O’Connor’s career, presenting a range of instrumental country, bluegrass, new grass and jazz with the detail and care often only applied to classical music. – WW

Recommended Tracks: “Caprice No. 4 in D Major”, “Macedonia”

- – -

• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 1: #100-#91
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 3: #80-#71
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 4: #70-#61
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 5: #60-51
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 6: #50-#41
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 7: #40-#31
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 8: #30-#21
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Part 9: #20-#11
• 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade, Conclusion: #10-#1

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert is a rare and fascinating case study of an artist who is able to push a significant number of records out the door, but is hard-pressed to receive equally significant radio airplay in return. While her first album, Kerosene, was certified Platinum and the follow up project, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, fared similarly well with Gold certification, she has only managed to squeak into radio’s top ten once with “Gunpowder And Lead.” On her third album, Revolution, it is entirely possible that Lambert has finally found a way to strike the tenuous balance of pleasing both critics and the general country music listening public with her album consisting of everything from sensitive ballads to rocked up, punk-flavored songs and a lot in between.

Not only does her impressive range of versatility sonically manifest itself, her depth of influences also appears by way of song contributions by people who aren’t just the usual suspects, but also dips into the pens of some highly esteemed Americana artists who aren’t typically covered by mainstream artists, as she did with songs from Gillian Welch and Patty Griffin on Crazy Ex Girlfriend. While there is a song that is co-written with the male members of Lady Antebellum and three co-writes with Blake Shelton, more interesting contributions are Fred Eaglesmith’s “Time to Get A Gun”, which is actually more relaxed than Eaglesmith’s manic rendering, Julie Miller’s “Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go” that was rearranged with a punk vibe, and a lyrically watered down (with confusing changes) but sonically amped up version of John Prine’s “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round”. Additionally, she includes three songs written with Ashley Monroe, including the catchy “Me and Your Cigarrettes” (also written with Shelton), which Monroe sings on as well.

As was ever present in her previous albums, Lambert maintains a certain edge for which she is best known both in sound and lyrics. Songs like “Maintain the Pain” (with a guest appearance from Blake Shelton), “Time to Get A Gun”, “Sin for A Sin”, “White Liar” and “Only Prettier” display Lambert’s trademark tendency toward the attitudinal. While all these songs are noteworthy for various reasons, “Only Prettier” specifically taps into Lambert’s sardonic capabilities, which results in the most amusing song of the album. Using political jargon, she suggests that the high society crowd can get along with the less refined folks but ends up antagonistically concluding with the barb, “We’re just like you, only prettier.”

However, as is also often overlooked with Lambert’s music, there is certainly a more sensitive and introspective side that is actually more prevalent on Revolution than on her prior albums. In fact, “Makin’ Plans”, “The House That Built Me”, “Airstream Song” (her answer to Merle Haggard’s “The Way I Am”), and “Virginia Bluebell” can all be described as gorgeous. Incidentally, they are also the quieter tracks. Of these songs, the most thematically compelling is “The House that Built Me”, which is an unshakably touching tribute to the contribution of the childhood home and its accompanying memories. “If I could just come in, I swear I’ll leave/Won’t take nothin’ but a memory from the house that built me”, she promises the house’s current owner.

In this fifteen song set, Lambert does not merely rest on the comfort ability of her past album’s themes and productions. Instead, she reaches for growth and diversity. While she is not completely successful (mostly thanks to some heavy production choices), her attempts to stretch herself are largely positive and indicative of an artist who is mainstream but not afraid to stay true to her tasteful and eclectic roots. Moreover, Lambert continues and even improves upon her natural inclination toward quality songs, stellar vocals and intriguing productions. Hopefully, she will someday be truly rewarded for her artistic integrity by receiving airplay to match her sales.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Real Animal, by ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Written in Chalk, by BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
Jason Isbell & The 40 Unit, by JASON ISBELL & THE 40 UNIT
Midnight At The Movies, by JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
BUDDY MILLER
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
RAUL MALO

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
BUDDY MILLER
GURF MORLIX
JERRY DOUGLAS
SAM BUSH

NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
BAND OF HEATHENS
BELLEVILLE OUTFIT
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
SARAH BORGES

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Chalk,” written by JULIE MILLER, performed by BUDDY MILLER & PATTY GRIFFIN
“Country Love” by the GOURDS
“Homeland Refugee,” by JOE ELY, JIMMIE DALE GILMORE, and BUTCH HANCOCK, performed by the FLATLANDERS
“Rattlin’ Bones” by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON, performed by KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
“Sex And Gasoline,” by RODNEY CROWELL, performed by RODNEY CROWELL

DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
BUDDY & JULIE MILLER
FLATLANDERS
KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON
RECKLESS KELLY

The awards will be given out at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 17. Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale will serve as hosts.

Allison Moorer’s latest album is an exercise in splendid restraint.  Excepting the title track, a Moorer original, Mockingbird is a collection of songs written and performed by the women who serve as her musical idols. Moorer shows an overt dedication to honoring the timeless rhymes of her sistren, drawing inspiration from a diversity of musical styles that she whips into an intoxicating cocktail.

Mockingbird experiences a hiccup early, when Moorer chooses two fine songs marred by bland production. The cover of the Cash family classic “Ring of Fire” is presented as a ballad, with a fraction of the intensity that charged the original, and Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” suffers from its brittle, progressive rock arrangement.

When she recovers from this stretch, Moorer is simply sublime. To steer the project, Moorer called on Americana legend, Buddy Miller, a partner whose musical sensibilities prove to be a perfect fit for her muse. The result is a rich palette of sophisticated pop, gritty alt-country and sultry blues that lift the songstress to wonderful heights. The pulsating rhythms, spiraling in and out of musical orbit, agree with Moorer’s velvety vocal style. She doesn’t trouble herself with the wailing tendencies of so many young country divas. Under their watch, songs of subtlety are rendered virtually meaningless. But Moorer gives each note a tender reading that gets to the heart of the matter.  Her powerful voice is finely-tuned, designed for optimum disclosure.

Moorer’s always been frank in her very public forum, and she willfully ignores any urge to conceal. No one seems as plainly doomed, at least on record, as Moorer. When she sings, the only possible verdict is melancholy. In her element, Moorer envelops the different shades of this emotion with deep-rooted understanding.  She’s the bearer of bad news on Shelby Lynne’s “She Knows Where She Goes,” the sad tale of an emotionally-scarred woman trudging through loveless, lonely days. She’s the pissed-off victim that Gillian Welch first outlined in “Revelator.” And she’s the hardened survivor in the primal “Daddy, Goodbye Blues,” a Ma Rainey staple that’s a master class in swampy blues.  Moorer throws herself into these moving moments, her voice echoing the uncertainty of the characters revealed in them.

But this isn’t a woman of startling snap decisions. Moorer never comes across as emotionally combustible, instead scoffing at the idea that a little thing called heartache could bring her down. Her self-doubting streak is matched only by a stubborn resilience. The beautiful reading of Julie Miller’s “Orphan Train” is a redeeming tonic, as she looks longingly towards the future and encourages all to overcome their hardships.  It’s not a polite shove; it’s a resolute command to climb aboard.  In contrast, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” with its gentle, sweeping strings, is a soft declaration for emotional emancipation, and an earnest vow to forgive past mistakes.

Years of experience present their own gifts, like the hard-won confidence that’s so evident on cool come-ons and songs of bittersweet longing.  When she gets her teeth into a sensuous ballad, Moorer is transcendent. She admits she’s revved up and randy on Mockingbird’s most urgent request, Nina Samone’s “I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl.” It’s a blatant lust, reaching a climax when she curls around the words, “Come on, save my soul”, as the song fades to black. No doubt a frisky proposition for a possible suitor. Later, in the album closer, Jessi Colter’s “I’m Looking for Blue Eyes,” she revives the country twang and yearning pain that’s laid bare in the original. It’s an intimate, yet hopeful, end to a redemptive album.

Moorer is a wily veteran who’s gained a modicum of success that seems unworthy of her talent, but she’s now unworried about fitting into the record industry’s narrow confines.  She shows great nerve in cutting these well-known songs with equal parts grace and grit.  Those with an appetite for vintage songs full of stylish eloquence, look no further. Mockingbird is a gutsy homage to great female singer-songwriters, engineered by a woman who’s earned her own place in that fine company.