John Amen

With his debut, All This Life, 21-year-old Parker Twomey blends rock, country, and folk approaches to good effect. Despite the occasionally awkward melody or overly earnest lyric, Twomey offers some of the more pitch-perfect vocal performances of the year, a young artist with undeniable talent. The opening

Since the launch of her career over a decade ago, Lera Lynn has navigated a mix of dreamy Americana and commercially viable pop. Her new album, Something More Than Love, is her most pop-centric release to date. While her songcraft and crystalline vocals are compelling, some listeners may find

Laura Veirs’ new album, Found Light, shows the Oregon-based singer-songwriter drawing musically from the folk, pop, and rock stylistics of her previous work. Lyrically, she reflects on her personality and default patterns, embracing newfound freedom while acknowledging the loneliness that perhaps inevitably accompanies the authentic life. “Ring Song”

2019’s Like the River Loves the Sea was a pivotal release for Joan Shelley. Recorded in Reykjavik, adeptly produced by James Elkington, and benefiting from the violin and cello contributions of Icelandic sisters Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir and Sigrún Kristbjörg Jónsdóttir, the album forged a traditionally grounded yet avant-garde

Refining the infectious rhythms, melodies, and vocals of her previous album, 2017’s Silhouette of Sirens, Chastity Brown releases her new set, Sing to the Walls. The project stands as a culmination of Brown’s journey, a sequence that marks her evolution from a rootsy troubadour to a meticulous songwriter,

With Gold Country / Country Gold, Cindy Emch, aka Secret Emchy Society, releases another set of boisterous, heartfelt, and frequently tongue-in-cheek songs, her freewheeling persona belying a well-honed songcraft, including hook-infused tunes and soundscapes that integrate a wide range of country and rock sources. The album opens