Albums
Lindsey Buckingham- Lindsey Buckingham (Rhino)
The classic rock legend’s eponymous project arrives a decade after his last solo release, and is also his first body of work since being ex-communicated from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, and undergoing heart surgery the following year to boot. Having been in gestation for some time prior to those incidents, the album spends less time unboxing those personal and professional left-turns, and instead focuses squarely on Buckingham’s evocative blend of folk, pop and rock sounds. His voice has thinned out a bit, understandable given that the 70s now represents his age, rather than the decade. But like all great artists of his stature, he more than compensates for time passed with long-proven staples, which in his case equates to sharp lyrics, dreamy harmonies, delicious melodies, and shimmering guitar-based sonic templates. The set’s opening trifecta of singles “Scream”, “I Don’t Mind”, and “On the Wrong Side” could’ve easily held their own in Mac’s legendary run of late 70s classics, and comprise one of the best radio-friendly sequences to be found on any 2021 project. The latter does hint at the circumstances of the split from his former band, with a blaring, triumphant tone of perseverance and acceptance.
Charley Crockett- Music City USA (Thirty Tigers)
Yes, even the Americana arena is guilty of possessing its own best-kept secrets. To say that Charley Crockett has been one of them would be a vast understatement. The newly released Music City USA, which is justifiably proving to be Crockett’s long-awaited breakthrough to the pinnacle of the roots music scene, is also his ninth studio release, and also his fifth since 2018. The record further builds upon the consistently prolific body of work that precedes it, and more than fulfills the promise that his recently risen profile suggests. It spills over with rich, vintage textures of classic country storytelling, swinging honky tonk, brazen rock & roll, and brassy, golden soul for good measure. His deep baritone and its stylish charm sounds like the three-way love child of Buck Owens, Faron Young, and Ray Price, and sounds just as natural against a jaunty fiddle, mournful steel, brooding rock riff or a warm brass section. Traditionalists like Crockett can often-times get pleasantly dismissed and pigeonholed to the “retro” category, but the timeless quality and narrative power of his music truly reminds us that music of this honest variety truly never goes out of style.
Mickey Guyton- Remember Her Name (Capitol)
After a decade of toiling with Music Row politics and the crippling sexist and racial barriers that continue to cast a dark cloud over the contemporary country music scene, Mickey Guyton’s long-awaited debut album finally sees the light of day. And as indicated by the various singles she’s released leading up to the project, Remember Her Name bravely confronts all of those systemic injustices head-on, and in a manner that is both brutally honest while also gracefully triumphant. The title track opens the set and immediately announces Guyton as a big-voiced talent more than deserving of rubbing elbows with Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris and the like at the top of the country-pop kingdom. At times, she proves to over-rely on Nashville’s bloated contemporary production much like Underwood did on her earlier, more pedestrian work. But when Guyton leans hardest into the gritty honesty of her most compelling life experiences like she does on “Better Than You Left Me”, “Love My Hair”, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her”, and especially “Black Like Me”, she establishes herself as one of music’s most promising, young singer-songwriters.
Kacey Musgraves- Star-Crossed (Interscope)
With Star-Crossed, Kacey Musgraves’ long-awaited “divorce” album and anticipated follow-up to 2018’s modern classic Golden Hour, the progressive country singer fully immerses herself in the dreamy pop landscape that she first explored on the aforementioned predecessor. In doing so, she basically leaves behind the formative country sounds of her earlier work, replacing those textures with a template that borrows from synthetic electro-pop, trippy astro-rock, confessional coffeehouse folk, and a dash of Spanish flavor. While these sonic trappings certainly paint Musgraves’ vocals in a beautiful light, they do prove to be monotonous at times as well. So while Star-Crossed may not be her best album yet, it’s certainly her most personal, with cuts like “Camera Roll”, “Good Wife”, and “Hookup Scene” ranking amongst her most painfully intimate to date. Meanwhile, infectious mid-tempos like “Justified” and “Breadwinner” further certify her abilities to craft pop music that is as equally catchy as it is compelling. Bottom line: Musgraves remains one of most gifted popular music poets of the present moment.
Lil Nas X- Montero (Columbia)
Montero marks the arrival of one of the most anticipated full-length bows in recent pop memory, coming a full two years after the breakout EP that spawned “Old Dirt Road”, the cross-genre sensation that immediately transformed X into one of the most watched voices in all of music. The album more than lives up to its hype, further establishing its artist as a confident, authoritative and challenging talent who refuses to be boxed in stylistically, or culturally. It tussles with race, gender, sexuality, and celebrity, and how all of their complications intersect. It’s all backdropped against a bold, brash soundscape that ranges from the hip-hop swagger of the title track to the rap tour-de-force of “Industry Baby” and even the breezy guitars and power pop of “That’s What I Want” and “Lost In the Citadel”. A star-packed lineup of guests that includes everyone from Elton John (on piano) and Miley Cyrus to Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jack Harlow further adds to the box office appeal of an undeniably buzz-worthy record. Most impressive however is how he centers the record with the raw tenderness of “Sun Goes Down”, a powerful reflection on his journey through acceptance of his homosexuality, in hopes of providing hopes to those yet to conquer the same. This moment establishes Lil Nas X as something far greater than a bubbling pop icon, as a voice not just for the queer community, but for anyone struggling with their own self-acceptance.
Carly Pearce- 29: Written in Stone (Big Machine)
For those disappointed by the sonic direction of the earlier mentioned Star-Crossed, here is the country divorce record you’ve been waiting for. But this expansion of Carly Pearce’s early 2021 EP, 29, is far more than that. Pearce has been a rare beam of light in the mainstream country landscape since emerging with 2017’s smash “Every Little Thing”, by keeping the crisp, authentic sounds of 90s country alive in a scene increasingly void of substance. Those qualities remain gloriously prominent on Written In Stone, as immediately evidenced by the enticing fiddles that open the set on the deliciously cutting “Diamondback”. Like so many great country records, this one was birthed through personal loss, in the wake of Pearce’s ill-fated nine-month marriage to fellow country star, Michael Ray. That sadness provides her with the muse to reach a new level of greatness as both a singer and songwriter, resulting in a uniformly flawless body of songs that makes it impossible to choose one true centerpiece, though thrilling cameos from Patty Loveless and Ashley McBryde certainly stack the odds in favor of their respective duets. This is an example of modern country beautifully reconnecting with its lost identity as the purveyor of honest, real life emotions and experience through music. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Music City creation anywhere else in 2021, and it easily ranks among the best albums in any genre to see release this year. A stunning artistic breakthrough in every way.
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