AOTY contenders from Shawn Camp and Anna Tivel this week.
Jake Worthington
When I Write the Song
The dude Carly Pearce: Unimpeachable taste in influences and aspirations, but nowhere near the technical skill to execute. And to be fair to Pearce, his skill deficit is far more severe. He apes John Anderson, Sammy Kershaw, and Marty Stuart (who guests here) in spirit, which is great.
But it’s hard to fathom that these were the best vocal tracks they could use. To paraphrase Kevin’s impression of him: He wants badly to sound like Tracy Lawrence then, but he only sounds like Tracy Lawrence now.
And, as with Zach Top, the songs don’t yet match the quality of his inspirations.
Jaelee Roberts
Let Me Be Lonely
I admit that I missed this Grascal’s daughter’s debut record a while back, but she’ll stay on my radar now. Comparison here is to early Sara Evans for a spot-on blend of ‘grass traditions with pop-country polish, and with far better vocal control than Evans, too. Good stuff.
Kathryn Legendre
Here’s Your Honky Tonk
She ain’t lyin’. Legendre continues to refine her own modern spin on the honky-tonk style in ways that highlight how there’s plenty of room for a contemporary POV on a sawdust floor. She for sure has the goods to be known beyond the local TX scene.
Josh Ritter
I Believe in You, My Honeydew
Oh. Oh, no. Love this guy, but this is easily his weakest album to date. His vocals are uncharacteristically rough, the mixing choices careen wildly from track to track, and his wordplays and allusions scan as labored instead of effortless. A surprising dud after a stellar run.
Shawn Camp
The Ghost of Sis Draper
Collates his collabs, written with Guy Clark, about fiddler Sis Draper into a single concept album that’s the finest record of his tremendous and too under the radar career. The grass pickin’ is unimpeachable, and the songs capture how oral histories turn into stuff of legend.
Anna Tivel
Animal Poem
Astonishing. She’s long belonged in the conversation about the finest contemporary songwriters, and this is perhaps the most dense and wrenching collection she’s ever recorded. Her brand of polished, accessible modern folk should be central in “Americana.”
Dar Williams
Hummingbird Highway
Her voice continues to deepen, but she’s lost none of the playfulness that has long made her a genuine treasure. The empathy of this collection, notable even among her own catalog, feels particularly needed right now. Add in a Richard Thompson cover for an easy sell.
Mason Via
Mason Via
Best known for his contributions to some of the best bands in the biz, this is Via’s finest solo album yet by a good margin, and it proves he more than has the chops to stand on his own. He pulls off a particularly old-timey ‘grass style without lapsing into stuffiness or cosplay.
Lanie Gardner
Faded Polaroids
A few too many tracks capitulate to 2025 radio country production trends, but even those tracks can’t fully mask what a distinctive writer and singer Gardner is. And when the production does stay out of the way? She has the goods for a long, rich career.
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