Elvis Costello’s ‘Almost Blue’ Was Rescued by Its Bonus Tracks… for a While
The release history of Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue provides a framework for examining how the delivery of recorded music can relate to our experience of it.
country pop
If You Love Her, Let Her Know: How Olivia Newton-John Became a Country Star
Olivia Newton-John’s chart-topping 1974 album remains a touchstone for 1970s culture, bringing the best of country music into mainstream pop.
Kacey Musgraves Returns to Her Roots on ‘Deeper Well’
Kacey Musgraves, like all of us, is just trying to learn how to sway in the face of life’s challenges, and she chooses to gift them to us in the form of songs.
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The 15 Best Country Albums of 2023
This year’s best country albums spring from hard-country bands to traditional true believers and from alternative country renegades to pop-country superstars.
Dolly Parton Does a Great Job Pretending She’s a Rock Star
Dolly Parton’s Rockstar is another solid, consistent piece of work that shows the country legend having fun and enjoying herself at this point in her career.
The 25 Best Country Songs About Death
There is no genre with as rich a history of songs about many forms of death–by natural causes, murder, suicide, war, accidents, and so on–than country.
Nancy Sinatra’s Legacy Is Far More Than Just Boots
Keep Walkin’ looks to expand on the legend of Nancy Sinatra because so much of her musical legacy is tied up in her mythology as a celebrity or an image.
Tele Novella Travel to Art-Country on ‘Poet’s Tooth’
Tele Novella are more Brian Wilson than Hank Williams on Poet’s Tooth, a pop band with compositional sophistication waiting to get out of their Austin city limits.
CMAT Knows She Is ‘Crazymad’ Which Makes Her Sane
Irish country pop artist CMAT’s Crazymad, for Me is a portrait of how we rationalize our behavior as a way of coping rather than a therapeutic dream.
Lydia Loveless Is Brutally Honest on ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again’
Lydia Loveless’ songs on her new LP tell a story of vulnerability, heartache, sadness, and yearning. She faces these issues with brilliant songwriting.
Molly Burch’ ‘Daydreamer’ Makes One a Daydream Believer
Molly Burch’s Daydreamer succeeds because of its multilevel approach. She has an enchanting voice that can be touching and stoic simultaneously.
Taylor Swift’s New ‘Speak Now’ Nods to the Past, Shows New Path Forward
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a nod to one of life’s central truths: you can’t go back in time, but there are always new paths forward.