Top Picks

The 13-track album from Liverpudlian singer-songwriter John Jenkins is packed with powerful tracks. Jenkins vocals, as soft and smooth as caramel, deliver well written lyrics addressing regret and broken dreams. Though it might sound sad, there is plenty to smile about as the record transports you through these emotions, from the gentle production to the […]

As a mainstream country music fan, I was surprised I enjoyed this album as much as I did. This latest record comes after a difficult couple of years for Felix but he’s channeled his trials and tribulations into his songwriting, taking this record to some dark places at times. With the theme of driving, he

Paul Benoit has had a varied and successful career as both a singer-songwriter and a composer who has had a number of film soundtracks credited to his name. His latest ten song collection fuses americana, folk and rock and features some lovely slide guitar playing. The highlight of the record for me is the duet

‘All Alone’ faces the trials and tribulations of the world, head on as Steven Graves explores the universal themes of loneliness, fear and anger caused by the pandemic whilst also asking tough questions to each and every listener about their impact on topics like climate change. You’re The One is an upbeat track with a

Upon first listen I am drawn to the level of musicianship on display from Steve Bonham and The Long Road. From the opening track Ballad of Duane and Billy Marie, where they utilise every aspect of the acoustic guitar including the harmonics, to the closing track, Western Requiem with the delicate piano cutting through the

Tré Burt’s melancholy vocals ring out on this unique album. The tenacious musician sticks to his guns and addresses numerous thought-provoking observations he’s made about his home country. By The Jasmine is very topical and a true story about what he’s experienced as a black man living in America. The narrative isn’t angry – who

Phil Odgers fifth studio album had a rocky start with his funding campaign thrown into doubt due to the collapse of Pledge Music and the pandemic preventing him from getting in a studio with producer Jim Knight. However, the resilient Odgers managed to push on through the setbacks and has delivered a record with a

Mad Twenties is the debut album from Taylor Rae. It looks to address the life lessons learnt in her twenties, set to a polished production. The relaxing undertones of ‘Fixer Upper’, one of the single’s off the 12-song collection, boasts a beautiful melody sung by her gentle, wispy vocals. The soft tones of the B3

The follow up to Grant Maloy Smith’s critically acclaimed ‘Dust Bowl American Stories’ features some of Nashville’s finest musicians and it certainly shows. The production is well thought out and rather atmospheric. The instrumentation perfectly matches the traditional themes that lie within Smith’s lyrics. From the rise and fall of the coal industry on the

This is the third full length album from Lauren Alaina and follows two critically acclaimed EP’s released in 2020. Alaina, who says this record is about “a dreamer becoming an achiever,” co-wrote 14 of the 15 tracks alongside some of country music’s finest writers, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey to name a few.