Several strong efforts this week, led by an AOTY contender from Jessye DeSilva.
Jay Buchanan
Weapons of Beauty
Expanding on his work with Rival Sons, Buchanan offers a captivating take on cosmic country soul. The versatility of his singing impresses, as does the most intuitive and least fussy production Dave Cobb’s done in a minute. A progressive vision for “Americana.”
Calder Allen
Fault Lines
In almost every way, Allen actually achieves what it’s been alleged Parker McCollum does well. A sneaky great singer whose writing betrays both a sardonic streak and a knack for a hook, Allen’s brand of TX country is built for much broader appeal. His sharpest set to date.
Austin Michael
Lonestar: The Album
Now 7 years removed from an American Idol stint, Michael is far more effective when he leans into cowboy and TX iconography than when he adopts more strident, ill-fitting Music Row trends that don’t suit his strong tenor. There’s some promise here, still unfulfilled.
School House
Homeland
Second outing for this Canadian trio is one of the more charming and most tuneful entries in the ongoing StompClapHey revival. They’re at their best when they aim for full-on singalong refrains that highlight their facility with a melody.
Laura Chavez
My Voice
Quite the accomplishment that Chavez truly foregrounds such a distinct voice on an instrumental album: Her guitar-work is absolutely first rate, and the breadth of her arrangements on these originals and ace covers showcase a fully formed POV as a musician.
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Future Soul
Not hearing much “future” in this: They’re classicists at heart, and that’s never going to change. As ever, their technical prowess and professionalism are what saves the day. If this isn’t real heroism, it’s still mighty fine for what it is that they do.
Morgan Myles
Laced
The writing skews pedestrian, and the production is slick and accessible enough. What’s most interesting is the tension between the prettiness of her vocal timbre and her chosen country-rock style. If she leans into that tension with better material, look the whole way out.
Atlus
Art of Letting Go
Regrettable that I wasted the Ayn Rand joke on his EP last fall instead of waiting for this unabridged version, which is even more of a chore to get through.
Jessye DeSilva
Glitter in the Dark
I miss her overt forays into the country space, where her queering of genre conventions is a singular and needed form of protest. But note, too, how “Love on the Road” here is fully of a piece with the Ella Langley moment the genre’s women are having with 80’s Country.
To that end, Tasjan’s production work is his savviest to date, setting Jessye’s essential narratives in new contexts, every single one of which enhances her candid storytelling. Her singing on this record is no less triumphant, showcasing every facet of her technical and emotional ranges.
What makes the album so vital, though, is its tension between having confidence and finding joy in one’s authentic self and having very urgent doubts and fears about a world where that very self is met with hostility. The album is timely as a document of the trans experience in 2026 and timeless as an expression of radical, profound empathy.
In that way, she still hits on the best of country, while she, ALT, Lafemmebear, Butch Walker, and Adia Victoria (!) also explore punk rock joys, ancient folk horrors, and dancefloor ready bangers. An essential listen.
Flatland Cavalry
Work of Heart
As ever, they remain an outfit who would elevate the mainstream if actually given the chance to do so. This set is accomplished and professional, while still retaining just enough of their homespun charm. But song for song, it doesn’t hit their natural ceiling.
William Clark Green
Watterson Hall
Easy to understand the appeal to the traditionalist and TX Country sects, and certainly enough quality songcraft here to appeal to the rest of us who aren’t nearly so rigid about all that. His affect can skew flat in his singing, though, which can undersell some songs.
Sam Barber
Broken View
A significant leap from what was a solid, promising debut record, this set leans hard into a “dirt emo” aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to his natural gifts. The result is one of the most consistently compelling and listenable examples of that specific form.
Barber stays on the right side of the line between narratives that give good mope and those that wallow in self-pity and navel-gazing, and good on him for recognizing that distinction. He varies his vocal performances, too, in ways that showcase a real command of what he’s intending to convey.
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