Jesse Lovelock leads a week that also includes the best debut ever from an American Idol alum.
Shallowater
God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars
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Doesn’t deliver on that exact promise, but in terms of a slightly twang-attuned indie rock record w a sardonic streak, this hits for me in a way that it felt like the MJ Lenderman, Ryan Davis / Roadhouse Band albums were supposed to. AotY for 2002 undergrad me.
Zac Brown Band
Love & Fear
Long past hope they’ll ever regain the form of their exemplary early-aughts run, this is a right mess even by their more recent standards. One or two strong standalone tracks can’t compensate for the lack of impulse or quality controls or the off-putting, defensive posture.
Lance Roark
Bad Reputation
A quite capable singer, a songwriter with a clear grasp of structure and melody, and a lyricist who relies entirely on clichés, predictable tropes, and middlebrow sentiments. The fundamental lack of ambition in these songs doesn’t make for an allegedly great album.
Jesse Jocoy
Cul-de-Sac Kid
Answers her own question (“Does country need a country song from a cul-de-sac kid like me?”) with a resounding yes, many times over: She’s a fantastic writer w a clear POV and genre know-how. A few vocal choices are giving Reba in a dodgy way, but a minor quibble.
Nicki Bluhm
Rancho Deluxe
The songs are consistently good in a low-key Laurel Canyon country way, if rarely better than that. What sells this album is Bluhm’s effortlessly great singing, which is some of the best I’ve heard all year; the slight raspiness in her tone is a glorious thing.
Colter Wall
Memories and Empties
Sturdy and solid, Wall remains the ideal for particular flavors of genre traditionalism and authenticity fetishists. As ever, I don’t find him a compelling enough singer to overcome the stuffier elements of his dogged, formalism. This is fine in predictable ways.
Jack Blocker
The Lord On Most High
I’m aware of the hellfire saying so risks, but this is the best country debut album by any American Idol alum, and by some margin. Polished enough (and with better songs) to appeal to Zach Top’s fans, sincere enough (and more technically sound) for Zach Bryan’s demo.
Jesse Lovelock
Jesse Lovelock & The Velvet Voices
A spectacular work of thoughtful, savvy cosplay, and of an older vintage that stands out among 2025’s 90s-inspired neo-Neotraditionalists. Would be even better if he invoked any real modern POV on balance, so there’s room for further growth here.
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