The second half of 2026 kicks off with new releases from Keith Urban, Swamp Dogg, Angie K, Cole Goodwin, Cody Johnson, and American Aquarium.
Keith Urban
flow state
His taste has been questionable for ages, and this utterly inessential (mostly) covers album embraces the worst elements of Yacht Rock as aspirational: A flouting of privilege that allows him to demand something so gauche be considered cool. Perfect for a Mar-A-Lago gig.
Swamp Dogg
Contemplates the Afterlife
Continues the late-career tear he’s been on, bringing to bear his incorrigible personality and sense of mischief on a collection of songs that aren’t as deep as the title suggests but that do consider a few big questions. He remains a national treasure.
Angie K
Whiskey & Hemingway
She continues to navigate a wholly mainstream-friendly aesthetic, and her music would immediately elevate any radio playlist. That she foregrounds queer relationships and her Hispanic heritage goes a long to explaining why she hasn’t been given that chance.
Cole Goodwin
Howdy [EP]
Between Braxton Keith and now this kid, if I’m Zach Top, I’m worried that I’ve been lapped by upstarts who swerved into my lane with the actual songs I didn’t bother to write. Goodwin’s a strong vocalist, but it’s his wordplays and structure that impress most.
Cody Johnson
Banks of the Trinity
His ascent to one of the genre’s primary standard-bearers has been based upon a level of artistic credibility, as a pretty great singer of songs that are consistently two standard deviations above the Music Row mean. That hate crime of a “Travelin’ Soldier” cover was a bellwether that something had gone awry, which this album brings fully to bear.
The songs on this set are a significant step down in terms of craft when compared to his previous records, and Johnson oversings a good half of them like he’s trying to pass a kidney stone.
Now, that still makes for an album that’s better than what Blake Shelton or Luke Bryan were routinely dropping in their Entertainer Of The Year eras, but Johnson’s always had a higher ceiling than they do.
This is fine, but fine just flat out isn’t good enough for him at this juncture.
American Aquarium
New Ways to Lose
With Shooter Jennings’ insistence on making every band he produces sound interchangeable, it’s up to BJB’s songwriting to retain the band’s singular identity. He is, of course, up to that task, refusing all apologies for foregrounding his empathetic POV.
A couple of songs are perhaps a bit too on-the-nose, but even those work in the current post-subtlety climate. And I’m not an “animal person,” but damned if he didn’t have me more than a little choked up about his dog (“Favorite Hello”), which is a fine testament to his storytelling skill.
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