John Amen

On her seventh album, Madi Diaz questions her identity in the wake of a relationship’s end. Stripped to essentials – acoustic guitar and vocal – Fatal Optimist spotlights Diaz as she vacillates between confidence and doubt, congratulating, then criticizing herself, embracing fresh possibilities, then lamenting the life she has left behind.

With her debut LP, Finer Things, A.G. Schiano, aka Clover County, reflects on love and relational dynamics, sublimating a restlessness fueled by big dreams. Building on her 2024 EP, Porch Lights, Schiano offers heartfelt vocals and catchy tunes, occurring as both down-to-earth and wise to the ways

ALBUM REVIEW: Charley Crockett Offers a Riveting Set on ‘Dollar a Day’ 2024’s $10 Cowboy spotlighted Charley Crockett’s range and a production style that referenced the Las Vegas Strip as much as the Honky Tonk Highway. With Lonesome Drifter, released earlier this year, Crockett strove to reembrace the

With her debut LP, Roll with the Punches, Rebecca Porter builds on previous work, including her 2023 EP, Queen of the Local. That said, virtually every aspect of her M.O. has been tweaked, honed, and, in the case of several tracks, perfected. Her songs brim with hooks, even as

Rick Deering’s and Lisa Miller’s songcraft, musicianship, and vocal skills, honed over years of live performing, are now boldly displayed via their 10-song debut, Fire & Honey. Deering and Miller, a.k.a. Wild Mountain Mystics, have clearly absorbed the Americana canon, infusing their rootsy templates with