The week is led by four star efforts from Kalyn Fay, Andy Hedges, and Momo Boyd.
Kalyn Fay
DORO (a.k.a. Garden)
Fay’s extraordinary voice has long belonged in the conversation of how indigenous women are reclaiming “Americana” in both form and principle. This stellar set adds to a long list of recent albums in that vein, and with some of Fay’s most pointed and poignant writing to date.
Andy Hedges
The Westerner
A thoughtfully curated and written collection of cowboy songs and recitations, performed with reverence for the form and Hedges’ first-rate skill. Dom Flemons (!) contributes some fine picking, and I kind of lost my mind when true icon Ramblin’ Jack Elliott showed up.
Asher Brinson
Midnight Hurricane
Southpaw picker shows tremendous skill and promise on this set, which skews far more toward Bluegrass traditions than to many of his generational peers’ proggrass aspirations. When his singing voice matures a bit, watch the whole way out, but a lot to like here.
Natalie Jane Hill
Hopeful Woman
Telling, truly, that Hill’s thesis is that being a hopeful woman at this exact moment requires looking inward and to her immediate natural surroundings for opportunities that are in her direct locus of control. An unassuming but quite strong modern folk record.
Kylie Morgan
Healed Cowgirl Pt. 1 [EP]
She remains an intriguing talent, especially as a songwriter with a strong sense of agency, but this set is uneven, with highs that compare well to recent Kaitlin Butts, and lows that are badly dated in form and content. “1-800 Dump Him,” as a single in 2026? Really?
Drayton Farley
A Heavy Duty Heart
Isbell casts such a long shadow over this album that it does a disservice to Farley’s own talents. 400 Unit’s Sadler Vaden’s production is as much the culprit as is Farley’s own lyric style, which aims for “poet in the throes” (a line he repeats) via working class images.
And he hits many of those marks with some lines that are both introspective and moving, even when individual songs obviously ape the melodies and structures of Isbell’s. Armed with a lovely and powerful singing voice, he still has all the goods for something more distinctive than Southeastern Redux.
Hayden Coffman
Goner [EP]
Utterly pedestrian songwriting and production and, among the legion of This Exact Guy we’ve had to contend with of late, maybe the least capable vocalist. A combination of nasal and off-pitch that’s unforgivable, not that such things would make the title predictive.
Kalsey Kulyk
Her Rodeo [EP]
Too slick by half on a few tracks, but this is certainly strong enough to have warranted a full-length album. The voice and “& Western” flair recall a mainstream version of last year’s Sam Stoane album, which is fine company to keep. One to watch, for sure.
Paul Cauthen
Book of Paul
As ever, his trolling cuts against the overall quality of his work, like he’s somehow afraid to embrace how great he actually could be if he just cut out the baiting of the authenticity / genre fetishists. Just let loose that voice, cut the shit, and be great, sir.
Lane Pittman
What Now [EP]
Vocally, this Aussie sounds a lot like Brett Eldredge, which isn’t the worst thing in any hemisphere, but which makes it that much worse how, in every other way, he’s aping Wallen and Wetmore. Unlike those guys, he at least has innate talent to choose to do better, maybe.
Momo Boyd
Miss Michigan
Young upstart provides another prime example of how, in recent years, it’s been women of color who have been doing far and away the most interesting work with the entire construct of (Miss) Americana. Armed with a singular voice and POV, she’s one to follow solo and with Infinity Song.
…quite of few pickers making a name for themselves in bluegrass these days – trey hensley’s singing surprised me on the positive since becoming more vocal while mr. brinson’s slightly less so. his overall sound though is pleasant.
…you got to be aussie to pull of a marsupilami coat as the latest in animal print fashion. would take him over mr. adcock anyday though (there’re higher bars to clear, i know).
…natalie jane hill’s “hopeful woman” goes very smoothly with peeling potatoes, i found out unintentionally. soothing stuff.
…after insinuating that pony bradshaw’s (another poet in the throes from down there) last fine album(s) could have done with a pinch or two of rock perhaps to make it even better, i can’t blame drayton farley now for having done exactly that and pulling it off rather nicely. loved his isbellish “it’s called doubt” from first listening and “i’ll hold you” too. surely something for those, who might have been wondering how isbell may sound without that urge for the nearest restroom.
…kylie morgan, for whom i may have some soft spot since “break things”, may be one of the most mismanaged talents there in town. positioning her anywhere near that trite cowgirl schtick is even more a recipe for desaster than sending j.d., if you’re looking for a positive outcome – of anything. “love and country music” or “hell bent” is so her, “like my own” is a rather touchy in-your-shoes-song, while “cool it cowboy” is harmless fun. regarding shoes – hardly anyone in nashville sports a pair of strappy heels better than she does. then again, if your management is more into hats to make you stand out…
…ms. kulyk, ms. bosko, ms. paulette – good ol’ joe cocker wouldn’t have them taking their hats off, i bet.
…hayden coffman snapshot listening to himself on that album cover?
…perhaps ai should be trained not to make missing limps its irritating trademark. like on that “miss michigan” cover.