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The Best Albums of 2014
2014 was a banner year for country music albums. In addition to the predictably solid entries from the Americana, folk, and bluegrass scenes, some excellent albums also surfaced from the unlikeliest...
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Album Review: Brad Paisley, Moonshine in the Trunk
Brad Paisley Moonshine in the Trunk Paisley’s last four albums have established a pattern of something slightly progressive or challenging (American Saturday Night, Wheelhouse) followed by a...
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Album Review: Angaleena Presley, American Middle Class
Angaleena Presley American Middle Class Presley’s upbringing in the hollows of Eastern Kentucky provides her with an endless well of believable first-person details that she uses to create the quirky,...
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Album Review: Blake Shelton, Bringing Back the Sunshine
Blake Shelton Bringing Back the Sunshine He’s been coasting on his celebrity status and his brand of aw-shucks humor for years, so it’s encouraging that Blake Shelton’s Bringing Back the Sunshine...
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Album Review: Garth Brooks, Man Against Machine
Garth Brooks Man Against Machine Garth’s first proper studio album in thirteen years is chock full of all of his best and worst traits, but thankfully errs more often on the side of subtlety over...
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Album Review: Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Little Big Town Pain Killer Rather than focusing on their unrivaled vocal skill, Little Big Town and producer Jay Joyce approach Pain Killer like a game of “Chicken”: Listening to the album, it...
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Album Review: Zoe Muth, World of Strangers
Zoe Muth World of Strangers Few artists can make “weary” sound as engaging as Zoe Muth. Even though she rarely picks up the tempo past a casually swinging shuffle, Muth captivates with her artfully...
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Album Review: David Nail, I’m a Fire
David Nail I’m a Fire If he’s a fire, it’s one that doesn’t burn nearly enough. Three albums in, Nail continues to pair great potential with middling results. Despite having better pipes than most of...
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Album Review: Jon Pardi, Write You a Song
Jon Pardi Write You a Song A surprisingly entertaining debut effort, Jon Pardi’s relentless enthusiasm infuses even mediocre material with enough energy to make it listenable. Of course, that’s the...
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Album Review: Carrie Underwood, Greatest Hits: Decade #1
Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1 Hits compilations have become an odd thing in the digital age, as they give both hardcore and casual fans little reason to purchase. The new tracks can be...
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Year-End Flashback
As we get ready to roll out our lists of the Best of 2016 and the Best of 1991, take a look back at all of Country Universe’s Year-End Lists! 2015 Best Country Albums of 2015: Part 1: #20-#11 Part 2:...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Brad Paisley, Moonshine in the Trunk
Brad Paisley Moonshine in the Trunk Paisley’s last four albums have established a pattern of something slightly progressive or challenging (American Saturday Night, Wheelhouse) followed by a...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Angaleena Presley, American Middle Class
Angaleena Presley American Middle Class Presley’s upbringing in the hollows of Eastern Kentucky provides her with an endless well of believable first-person details that she uses to create the quirky,...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Blake Shelton, Bringing Back the Sunshine
Blake Shelton Bringing Back the Sunshine He’s been coasting on his celebrity status and his brand of aw-shucks humor for years, so it’s encouraging that Blake Shelton’s Bringing Back the Sunshine seems...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Garth Brooks, Man Against Machine
Garth Brooks Man Against Machine Garth’s first proper studio album in thirteen years is chock full of all of his best and worst traits, but thankfully errs more often on the side of subtlety over
View ArticleAlbum Review: Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Little Big Town Pain Killer Rather than focusing on their unrivaled vocal skill, Little Big Town and producer Jay Joyce approach Pain Killer like a game of “Chicken”: Listening to the album, it appears...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Zoe Muth, World of Strangers
Zoe Muth World of Strangers Few artists can make “weary” sound as engaging as Zoe Muth. Even though she rarely picks up the tempo past a casually swinging shuffle, Muth captivates with her artfully...
View ArticleAlbum Review: David Nail, I’m a Fire
David Nail I’m a Fire If he’s a fire, it’s one that doesn’t burn nearly enough. Three albums in, Nail continues to pair great potential with middling results. Despite having better pipes than most of
View ArticleAlbum Review: Jon Pardi, Write You a Song
Jon Pardi Write You a Song A surprisingly entertaining debut effort, Jon Pardi’s relentless enthusiasm infuses even mediocre material with enough energy to make it listenable. Of course, that’s the...
View ArticleAlbum Review: Carrie Underwood, Greatest Hits: Decade #1
Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1 Hits compilations have become an odd thing in the digital age, as they give both hardcore and casual fans little reason to purchase. The new tracks can be...
View Article