Neko Case- Neon Grey Midnight Green (Anti)
One of contemporary music’s most enigmatic and bewildering talents returns for her first solo record of original material in seven years, and as is on-brand with every previous Neko Case release, it immediately becomes one of the year’s most joyously mysterious and rewarding musical moments. It’s been nearly three decades since Case first rose to prominence as an alt-country dynamo, and the passage of time has only magnified the gorgeous range of her rare voice, the limitless power of her songwriting, and the richly adventurous and at-times outright weird stylistic inclinations of her musical vision. Topically informed by a sense of loss and the recent passing of various members of her inner-circle, the emotional resonance of both her wondrous singing and unfiltered lyricism provide some of the most powerful moments in her expansive catalog. Meanwhile, her production choices–this is her first completely self-produced album–fosters her typically avant-garde blend of country torch, orchestral pop, and plenty of indescribable vignettes that would sound outright flabbergasting from any other artist. In the case of Neko Case however, it’s just a natural, and thoroughly moving, extension of her beautifully eccentric canon.
Carter Faith- Cherry Valley (MCA)
What a sparkling little gem this is to unearth amongst this year’s young country pack. Throughout her long-gestating debut album, Carter Faith unveils a charming and richly reverent musical vision that immediately sets her apart from her aspiring peers. Her sweet, buttermilk twang sounds utterly delicious in Tofer Brown’s production palette, which strikes a perfect balance between polished and organic, and explores a variety of rewarding sounds, whether it be steel-drenched torch, modernized cocktail country, or fresh slices of blistering, pub-flavored honky-tonk. Through it all, Faith immediately asserts her own individuality as a songwriter, singer, and all-around artist. Her lyrics bite more fiercely than her sweet tone initially suggests. The musical tapestries prove more surprising than the record’s initially plucky aesthetic hints at. And on a pure vocal stunner like “Six String”, she demonstrates a magically hair-raising range (Lee Ann Womack comparisons are not uncalled for) that her ultra-charming demeanor holds close to its vest. A late-year candidate for 2025’s best debut effort.
Florence + the Machine- Everybody Scream (Polydor)
There’s always been a bewitching, haunted mystery at the very core of Florence + the Machine’s music, from the ethereal ambience of their overall catalog to the primal vocal power of Florence Welch, that has made her one of the most acclaimed vocalists of her era. As the title of this sixth studio set implies, listeners can expect these elements to reach a fever pitch on Everybody Scream, which finds Welch and company returning to a more purely alt-rock landscape after the dance-curious tone of 2022’s Dance Fever. Song-titles like the titular track and “Witch Dance”, combined with the album’s Halloween roll-out, may seem like mere marketing machinations on the surface, but this spirit is serving a grander purpose here, and only wholly in touch with Welch’s surrounding body of work. This record primarily explores a period of intense physical and emotional pain for Florence, punctuated by the devastating miscarriage she faced on tour in 2023. Already an intensely ruminant woman and artist, this loss unlocked new emotional depths on the subjects of motherhood, the personal sacrifices that define her career choice, and the seasons of life. The artistic bravery it takes to excavate all of this experience in such raw and public fashion permeates this entire album, resulting in not only another other-worldly highlight in her canon, but arguably her most personal to date as well.
Vince Gill- 50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had/Secondhand Smoke (MCA)
These selections are actually two separate EPs in a series of twelve that Vince Gill has promised to unveil over the course of the next year, in honor of his half-century in the music business. It’s an interesting avenue to roll out new music, but we’ll gladly take new Vince records, whether it be an onslaught of EPs or an enormous box-set like 2006’s seminal These Days. For anyone that has spent any of those decades as a loyal fan of Gill’s music, it’s difficult to not feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and emotion while listening to these new performances. For starters, Gill’s voice is the epitome of the “aging like a fine wine” cliche, sounding seemingly richer with each passing year. His soulful lyrical gift and diverse guitar magic are both endlessly rewarding as well. Thus far, this collection sounds especially pensive, even by Gill’s standards, as the waning days of his sixties propels him to take even greater stock of both his life and life’s work. His advancing age is a bittersweet notion for his listeners, but moments like “I Gave You Everything I Had”, “I Hope Everybody Lives To Be A Hundred”, and “March On March On” not only reaffirm his timeless greatness, but assure us that he has plenty to say, and will undoubtedly remain one of the most gracefully vital legacy acts of his generation.
Patty Griffin- Crown of Roses (Thirty Tigers)
A bare-boned but prolifically powerful statement on life and love like only the great Patty Griffin could deliver in such a uniquely masterful manner. The spiritual center of this album is Griffin’s love and admiration for her mother, as well as the loss she felt upon her death this past February. However, this theme also naturally branches off into excavations of other overarching topics like ending relationships, mortality, and the cruel beauty of life’s natural cycle. These are certainly not new subject matters in Griffin’s discography, but she’s never tackled them with such singularly raw intimacy before, and yes, that’s saying something. She’s singing here with a more hushed whisper, partially out of necessity by way of her aging vocal cords, but also because it so gorgeously suits the music. At times, it takes on a silky, soft-spoken jazz leaning croon. Elsewhere, it exposes the most aching elements of her legendary folk rasp. Combined with Craig Ross’ tastefully restrained but ever-powerful production, it results in one of Griffin’s most commanding soundscapes, and emotional waterfalls like “The End”, “Way Up to the Sky”, and “A Word” emerge as some of the greatest singular triumphs of her staggering career. A masterful body of work.
Willie Nelson- Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle (Legacy)
Like all of Willie Nelson’s latter-day tribute records to other artists, his newest ode to departed friend and musical partner, Merle Haggard is a joyous gem to listen to. It’s expectedly brimming with superb musicianship, a resonant spirit of friendship and admiration, and Nelson’s unique brand of reverent interpretation. The song-selection is not as far-reaching as Nelson’s outstanding Rodney Crowell tribute from earlier this year, but rather focuses entirely on a sampling of Haggard’s many standards. In the context of this album, this was expected and seems most appropriate. Although Nelson had already recorded many of these classics at some point in his illustrious peak, there’s an added gravitas and undeniably special element to hearing these revisited now that Hag is no longer among the living, and as Nelson’s voice itself slowly but surely starts to show its age. And then there’s the fact that the beloved piano playing of Willie’s late sister, Bobbie Nelson is showcased so prominently throughout these recordings, which were among her last. In many ways, this set secondarily serves as a tribute to Bobbie as well, and her unmistakable key strokes combined with Mickey Rafael’s harmonica magic, the similarly swan-sessions of drummer Paul English, and Nelson’s inimitable gut-string picking makes this one of Willie’s most musically excellent latter-day releases.
Jake Owen- Dreams to Dream (Good Company)
Unquestionably one of the most unexpected moments of the year, Dreams to Dream is a full-blown artistic rebirth for country hitmaker Jake Owen, who smartly uses his first indie outing to dive deep into the neo-Outlaw potential suggested on his first two records, before commercial aspirations and record label pressure pivoted him toward a decade of hollow bro-country beach anthems. Ripe with his rich, burly twang, authentic country arrangements, and deeply intelligent compositions, this record feels like the manifestation of the music those of us listening to “Startin’ With Me” back in 2006 sensed Owen was capable of. It’s also the continuation of an impressive streak of excellent production outings for one Shooter Jennings, whose family pedigree is a seamless match for Owen’s obviously Waylon-leaning influences. And look, Owen was easily one of the least offensive, and mostly amiable offenders of the bro-wave, but his talents always felt so criminally squandered by his Music Row output, and Dreams confirms that as a reality, and also offers hope for so many of his similarly hindered and held-hostage peers. Even better, this doesn’t necessarily feel like the record he was always destined, only because you get a sense it’s just starting to scratch the surface of what he’s truly capable of. If anything, this feels like a precursor for even greater things ahead.
Ed Sheeran- Play (Warner)
When Ed Sheeran refocused on more straight-forward singer-songwriter fare on his two 2023 album releases, it seemed as if perhaps 2021’s = may be his last hurrah in the mainstream pop sphere. Play however marks a full-blown attempt to return to box-office-level pop, and it pulls no punches in doing so. Introductory track, “Opening” plays like a perfectly measured mission statement in that regard, successfully blending all of Sheeran’s proven disparate calling cards: confessional folk, hooky and polished pop, and shameless Hip-Hop detours in the vein of 2014’s “Don’t”. And as the album progresses, the ever-affable yet confident Sheeran skillfully proves that, nearly fifteen years into his A-list team breakthrough, he’s still among the masters in crafting this kind of well-balanced pop album. The kind of album that boasts big hooks and big feelings; per usual he walks right up to the cliff in terms of overindulging on both, but never jumps over the edge. Meanwhile, his exploration of a variety of Indian and Persian sonic influences, as heard on lead single “Azizam”, provides a fresh coat of pain on his overall sound.
Mavis Staples- Sad and Beautiful World (Anti)
This newly released jewel from the legendary Mavis Staples seems perfectly titled to illustrate these complicated and polarized times that we’re living in. But also remember two unwavering truths that have been powerful constants across the past six-plus decades of both music and culture: 1) the world has always been both sad and beautiful, and 2) the voice of Mavis Staples has always been a vital and comforting compass through the peaks and valleys of said world. These facts remain as powerfully true as the now 86-year-old soul legend and Civil Rights activist blesses us with these tenderly soothing readings of songs by the likes of pioneers like Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Curtis Mayfield, and Porter Wagoner, to modern voices like Frank Ocean, Allison Russell, and Hozier. Across every moment, Staples strikes that balance that has always been central to her greatness: the ability to transcend above the world’s darkness by way of her treasured voice, while also reminding us that she feels all of life’s hurt, fear, and eventual perseverance right alongside the rest of us. And on the album’s soul-stirring, all-star finale, Eddie Hinton’s “Everybody Needs Love”, she ends this project (and perhaps her sterling career) on that glorious sense of humanity’s perseverance.
Lola Young- I’m Only F**king Myself (Island)
British singer-songwriter Lola Young scored a major breakthrough on the American side of the pond this past year with her buzzy, viral hit “Messy”, giving her an enormously expanded platform with which to launch this, her third studio set since breaking through in London as a teenager. And just in case you missed the bat-shit-album cover and profane album title, Young has no interest in cleaning up her notoriously unapologetic act now that she’s experienced some international, mainstream success. This record is an unhinged peek inside the dizzying mind of Lola Young, and it more than lives up to her messy monicker. But it’s also rather entertaining in its most frenetically catchy moments, and when she chooses to get vulnerable on a track like “Spiders”, it’s surprisingly moving. Lola Young is not going to be your everyday pop star, but that also speaks to her appeal. When she’s fearlessly and uniquely tackling topics like addiction, self-harm, mental disorders, and sexual identity, she’s undoubtedly connecting with a segment of listeners that any era of A-list pop acts simply won’t.
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