The Official Country Music Thread Genre • Page 2

Also, two of the year's best releases in the genre are streaming on NPR this week: Parker Millsap and Margo Price. Not sure which one I like more, but I'm guessing both of these will be somewhere on my EOTY list. Definitely recommend them to anyone following this thread.

 

My mom is a pretty huge pop country fan (we do live in Tennessee after all). I didn't expect most of those artists to be mentioned in here at all, but I also didn't expect to recognize very few of the names being tossed around. Part of me actually has grown to enjoy pop country for what it is.

That Stapleton album though is everything. Came out of nowhere and caught me by the most perfect of surprises. Had the same sort of experience with Eric Church's Chief. (And Sam Hunt's Montevallo, but I'd assume that album would get shredded on here.)

 

I'm a fan of Church's stuff. His most recent album especially was very strong. Can't say I enjoy Hunt, but I like a fair bit of pop country.

 

As far as radio country, I love Zac Brown Band. Although last album was weird and I only listened once.

 

There were some really good tracks on the last Zac Brown Band album, and some genuinely ambitious songwriting. There was also a Jason Isbell cover, which is never a bad thing. But I agree that it was a weird record as a whole. Some really bizarre sonic diversions (the tracks with Chris Cornell and Sara Bareilles make no sense in context), and a complete lack of cohesion.

 

Yeah, that was my main gripe with it. I need to revisit it, because there were definitely some songs I enjoyed on there

 

There's a lot of great material. "Bittersweet" is really crushing; "Homegrown" is a prototypical example of a mainstream summer country anthem paying off in spades; "Junkyard" is extremely dark, daring, and interesting for a mainstream country record. But it's definitely less than the sum of its parts.

 

Also, after playing through this Parker Millsap album a couple times, I think it could be my favorite thing I've heard so far this year. Just really rich and soulful. I hope people check that one out.

 

I liked the first FGL album. A few off the second but only in a certain context. It's very mindless listening.

 

my new favorite thread

 

Riyl?

 

I keep forgetting to listen to the latest Church. I saw Hunt live before he ever really got going (Leave The Night On has just made radio) and really appreciated the show (he plays way more instruments than I expected). At one point he and his guitarist did a 15-20 minute section of cover songs from famous females of the 90s. It was awesome. Crowd went nuts when he did "Fancy"

 

There's no way you won't dig this. He's got the bluesy/gravelly voice thing going on like Anderson East, but is more versatile isn't quite as focused on throwback with his songwriting. I think he opened for Jason Isbell a few times, and Isbell is definitely an influence. But so is Led Zeppelin, haha. I think his voice will hook you right away.

I don't necessarily hate Hunt. "Leave the Night On" is a serviceable enough single. I liked "Cop Car" a lot when it was a Keith Urban song, and I think Hunt has a decent voice. Also cool to hear he's a good performer and a talented instrumentalist. I think my issue with his stuff is the production choices more than anything else. It's just a little *too* pop for my liking. He did an acoustic mixtape of his songs last year I think that was much more enjoyable.

 

Yeah, @Craig Manning, I really enjoy that acoustic mixtape. I can definitely see where his production choices would be too pop. One of the things he did at the concert was to remix Single For The Summer over Beyonce's Haunted beat and then added in parts of Drake's "Marvin's Room" in the bridge.

 

Will listen. He related to Ronnie?

 

Has the guy who makes all the country threads (jdr-something) been invited here yet. Need his contributions for sure

 

Gonna try and check out some of these recs this weekend! Lots of stuff I'm likely to enjoy to dig through

 

Report back!

 

Have you met me yet? Of course I will!! Really excited to get into a lot of this stuff. Country music is very intriguing to me right now. Lots of great stuff coming from the genre.

 

Agreed! It's an exciting genre.

 

Nah, I think that's just coincidence.

I haven't seen him around here yet, but I agree, definitely always look forward to his recs in the country thread.

You and Chris are definitely going to dig that Margo Price album. A few spots that remind me of Carole King.

 

@Craig Manning That is very exciting to me

 

Carole King.

I'm interested.

 

She's getting a ton of buzz lately. Some publication (The Fader, I think?) called her country's next big thing. That's probably hyperbolic, but she's definitely talented.

 

There isn't a Carole King thread yet!