25 Reckless Kelly- American Jackpot/ American Girls 6 The Wood Brothers- Kingdon in My Mind This album reflects 2020. 22 views. She announces this in the title of the very first song "You Can't Rule Me" and establishes that fact with a gnarly attitude and a nasty sounding electric guitar throughout the album. That album is fueled by explosive solos and back-and-forths, finding the musicians garnering inspiration in each other's talents. By Matt Miller , Madison Vain and Dave Holmes Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage. Williams specifically castigates Donald Trump on "Man Without a Soul". Year in Review: The 30 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2020 30 Sturgill Simpson, 'Cuttin' Grass Vol. 24 Steep Canyon Rangers- Arm in Arm The multi-talented singer-songwriter and instrumentalist taught herself how to use Pro Tools digital audio workstation to record and engineer while stuck at home alone. 14 Sturgill Simpson- Cuttin the Grass Vol.1 Yet, their lyrics are critical and welcomed contributions to a time when civil discourses have become endangered. Thematically, the album focuses on that particular event, but Earle makes room for considerations of the dehumanizing work conditions that miners endure, ultimately leading to lifelong illnesses such as "Black Lung". He even pays tribute to the late great Jimmy Reed. The 30 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2020. 3 Marcus King- El Dorado Whether the songs pointed out social injustices or described romantic love gone wrong, the implicit message was the same, the future can and will be better. Dylan shamelessly invokes everyone from Anne Frank and William Blake to personify his thoughts and feelings about how we got here and what it means. Drive by Truckers are not content to examine contemporary political angst as a singular historical moment. She lets it sparkle and shine when the song calls for it, such as on her version of the Stones' semi-psychedelic "She's a Rainbow" or in the giddy moments of falling love as on Arthur Russell's "A Little Lost". - Elisabeth Woronzoff. Influenced by all manner of soul, rock, and folk alike, Hearts Town is the War & Treaty's most matured and moving collection of songs yet. Now, though, she is a thunderous voice in the fight for human rights, leveraging her artistic talents to spotlight injustices that are plaguing people—and particularly women—of color today. "Sometimes life hurts. En Español is a palpable marker of the veracity of the Spanish language while also unifying Latin and Americana musicalities. 37 Gabe Lee- Honky Tonk Hell Instead, the opposite was true. No matter how dark the outside world may seem, we can huddle by ourselves and play our favorite songs for consolation and reassurance. PopMatters choses its top americana albums of 2020. All the while, she ensures a visceral Americana energy, judiciously using her twang but forgoing genre staples such as the steel guitar and fiddle. 31 The War and Treaty- Hearts Town He wrote an acclaimed autobiography ( Born to Run) and developed a successful show (Springsteen on Broadway) about his personal history. Altogether, Gospel First Nation intrigues with its expression of an Indigenous, Christian upbringing, but keeps listeners going with its expression of serenity and hope in such a time of uncertainty. Releases from John Paul White, Buddy and Julie Miller, Chuck Mead, Tanya Tucker, and many others were cause for … As it often has been throughout our Best Americana Albums of 2020, authenticity is key, and Saint Cloud has it in spades. We are living in strange times. Still, You Say Adios makes for an easy listen from the Chilean Americana artist. The duo channel a range of emotion, never overextending their display of affect, thereby avoiding alienation. Essentially, Homegrown is an emotional picture of an artist at the zenith of his career. Homegrown was cut between 1974-1975, right after Young endured the breakup from Carrie Snodgress. Long time collaborators with singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, she returns to co-produce Saturn Return but leaves a subtle mark. Expressive, ebullient, and instantly impressionable, We Wither, We Bloom is one slick production that tastefully elevates Americana further onto the pop stage. Low Cut Connie invite listeners to celebrate the "Wild Ride" life offers. It's best told in the album's title track, penned by Prince, but exists throughout the album's entirety. Anyway, that’s a roundabout way of saying that the brilliant PopMatters has listed its 25 best americana albums of 2020, and it’s a terrific list with some familiar names and some which haven’t even crossed our well-worn path yet. She then sent them to producer Tony Berg in Los Angeles, who employed session musicians to fill in the parts from their home studios. Though the latter will be less comprehensive than this one. We are moving to WordPress and a new host, but we really need your help to fund the move and further development. Rather, this is a call to bridge political divisiveness, and in solidarity, realize capitalism is the ultimate oppressor. The Ghosts of West Virginia finds Steve Earle & The Dukes portraying the 2010 West Virginia mining explosion that killed 29 miners. She knows the world is falling apart. She plays flawlessly here without ever showing off. The items on this list encourage hope for the future based on a belief in the human spirit. - Elisabeth Woronzoff. Walking Proof, Whitney Rose's We Still Goes to Rodeos, John Moreland's LP5, Elizabeth Cook's Aftermath, Eliza Gilkyson's 2020, Dave Alvin's From an Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings, The Band of Heathens' Strange, Jess Williamson's Sorceress, Jeff Tweedy's Love Is King, Blitzen Trapper's Holy Smokes Future Jokes, My Morning Jacket's The Waterfall II, Stephanie Lambring's Autonomy, Leslie Barth's Big Time Baby, Anthony Garcia's Acres of Diamonds, Great Peacock's Forever Worse Better, Jason Wilber's Time Traveler, Anders & O'Bitz's American Bardo, Della Mae's Headlight, Paisley Fields' Electric Park Ballroom, Golden Shoals' Self-Titled, Front Country's Impossible World, Dustbowl Revival's Is It You, Is It Me, and Letitia Van Sant's Circadian. AMERICANA/FOLK ALBUMS The week of February 1, 2020 Prev. John Hiatt: Bring The Family (1987) Hiatt’s breakthrough album, Bring The Family is at least … The Secret Sisters - Saturn Return. Gospel First Nation is the culmination of Prince's inner reflection, reflecting on the crossroads between two seemingly unrelated topics: Christianity and growing up in the First Nation. <a href="https://jasonisbell.bandcamp.com/album/reunions">Reunions by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit</a> One of Americana's biggest head-turners in 2020 hails from Norway. More so, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Karl T Himmel, Tim Drummond, and Ben Keith lend their musical support to the album. Delving into love and heartbreak, dreams realized and lost, The Mavericks underscore these universal themes with noticeably hybrid instrumentation. Their elegant vocal harmonies hearten the sparse instrumentation while providing a touch of warmth to heavy topics. 9 The Secret Sisters- Saturn Return Spotify. Share: Say what you will about 2020 (and you can say a lot), but the music has been spectacular. 5 Jamie Wyatt- Neon Cross Essentially, En Español is a study in the subjectivity of conventions. The Northern Belle became a blip on the Americana radar this year with We Wither, We Bloom. And as he points out on the title track, getting older can make one stronger and better as a human being. – Steve Horowitz. The Secret Sisters - Saturn Return. The album demonstrates how the joy of music can bring us together. The same thing is true for her voice. Crockett wrote all the material except for Red Lane's "Blackjack County Chain", a violent chain-gang/revenge song. In Mid-West Farmer's Daughter, Price described herself as an outsider. For Earle, this album is not a political issue, although this topic is greatly affected by politics. 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