(Also important to remember, this isn’t “From a Room,” but “From A Room,” as it was recorded in historic Studio A.)
3) Turnpike Troubadours – A Long Way From Your Heart
Like other bands, Turnpike Troubadours have weaved characters that have spanned multiple songs and multiple albums. Characters like Lorrie and Jimmy have both appeared in multiple works by this band. And it’s not always quite obvious: sometimes there’s a subtlety to it. |
“The Housefire,” the first track revisits Lorrie. While her first appearance, “Good Lord Lorrie” from 2012’s Goodbye Normal Street marked her first appearance as growing up in a family that “used to have a little money” “The Mercury” found her being a bit more wild. Now, “The Hosusefire” has seen her grow up further, now a mom, married to our singer, and protecting her child when the house they live in burns to the ground. And that’s just the start of this superb album, one of the most traditional country albums of the year.
2) Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
Isbell has never shied away from social commentary: neither in his social media postings or in his music. His beliefs and feelings ring through loud and clear on his follow-up to 2015’s Something More Than Free. The Nashville Sound may actually be a tighter album, but the social commentary continues |
1) Josh Ritter – Gathering
Josh Ritter followed up 2015’s Sermon on the Rocks with a tour of “Works in Progress” shows. After Sermon had settled and he’d begun writing new tracks for a new album, he did something rare: he took those new songs on the road and began testing audience reactions to them. So, by the time Gathering came out, a lot of fans had already |
And Josh Ritter continues to be one of the most underrated and underappreciated singer-songwriters around. Gathering is a fantastic album that explores several different styles and themes without ever feeling unfocused. I’d love to say there are standout tracks on this album, but the album is perfect and every track is a standout, making this my favorite album of 2017.