TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2009 (and yes, they're all country!)

the music critic in me never dies! although i no longer work for the baylor lariat, i figure i can at least post my opinion on my own site. (you may not agree, it's just what i think and what i like.)

1) ROADHOUSE SUN - RYAN BINGHAM

really, ryan bingham could sing the freecreditreport.com commercial and i think it'd sound spectacular. he's just got THAT VOICE. that deep, gritty, worn, whiskey-laden, hard-livin' voice - that voice that tells a story. ryan's brilliant and he's able to weave a story together with so much perspective, depth, and wit. i was a strong supporter of mescalito (which i predict will go down in history as one of the greatest folk/americana records of all time) and thank you Lord, bingham (as most people call him) didn't disappoint on his sophomore record. his wife, anna, makes just about the best music video around too...what a team. bold statement, but this is the bob dylan of our generation. there, i said it. standout songs: "country roads", "snake eyes"



2) REVOLUTION - MIRANDA LAMBERT

this girl is just talented beyond belief. her ability to garner such commercial and critical success is an accomplishment in and of itself. i've owned and loved all of miranda's albums (and they've all been excellent), but this one's her best work so far. like many people have said, this album shows a lot of maturity and growth, but miranda hasn't lost her edge at all - she's like a bottle of the spiciest habanero sauce packaged in a yellow cotton dress - and i love that contradiction. plus, i always know that i can count on miranda to bring out my feisty, vengeful, don't-you-dare-mess-with-me side. a few weeks ago, i took my gun and this album out to the range and after i annihilated my poor target, all the guys said, "holy [expletive], but you look so sweet..." i laughed, "i am sweet. rrrrreal sweet." what can i say, if i've got my pistol, i've been listening to miranda, and you're a man who's ever mistreated me...you might want to stay away! standout songs: "time to get a gun", "the house that built me"



3) OLD THINGS NEW - JOE NICHOLS

like i've said before, met joe a month or so ago, and i am so unbelievably impressed! this guy is so underrated!!!! his voice is fantastic and the song choices on this new album are perfect. i really can't say it better than the boot, so i'll include their recent write up: The Merle Haggard of his generation continues to mine traditional country, and skillfully blend it with contemporary themes and sounds, giving the title (and title track) of his latest collection even deeper meaning. The fact he has yet to achieve country superstar status is practically criminal. strong resemblance to merle? sold. standout songs: "old things new", "an old friend of mine", "this bed's too big"



4) HERE WITH ME - HOLLY WILLIAMS

being hank's granddaughter and hank jr.'s daughter can't be an easy thing to live up to, but miss williams proves on this album that she has a legitimate place in this musical dynasty. holly's songwriting skills are just extraordinary and so gut-wrenching. this album has meant a lot to me personally and i've turned to it on many occasions. holly's ability to be so honest and connect on such a soulful level is impressive to say the least. if you listen to this album and it leaves you with no emotional response, something is wrong with you!!!! standout songs: "keep the change", "without Jesus here with me", "he's making a fool out of you"



5) WIDE OPEN - JASON ALDEAN

jason just grows and grows on me. i started with thinking, "this is a fun loving georgia boy who knows how to sing a nice country song" to realizing, "wow, he's talented and he's doing things that no one else is." jason's about as traditional country as it gets these days, but he's also raw with a pinch of southern rock- a very interesting blend. most songs i can listen to a few times and then they get old, but i could listen to the three singles he's released thus far over and over and over again. i think jason plays right into my "screw this big city, let's go move to tuscola, texas and run our little farm" daydream. he's just a simple guy and i love that about him. this album did not disappoint in the least. standout songs: "the truth", "big green tractor", "love was easy"



6) THE LIST - ROSANNE CASH

interesting story behind this record. when rosanne was 18, she was riding the bus with johnny and he kept quizzing her on classic country songs and she didn't know the majority of them and so he said, "child! have mercy, i'm going to sit down and write you a list of the 100 best country songs and this will be your education." she held on to that list all these years and FINALLY decided to cut an album. i've always loved rosanne's voice (a tender, yet course mix of appalachia and southern roots) and how could any album with songs chosen by johnny not be freakin' outstanding? this was a genius idea. though they're not her own songs, she respectfully manages to put her own stamp on them. standout songs: "silver wings", "long black veil", "bury me under the weeping willow"



7) AMERICAN SATURDAY NIGHT - BRAD PAISLEY

i have so much respect for brad paisley. he just seems like the most hardworking, kind-hearted, family man. i hope i never hear anything absurdly disparaging about him because that would break my heart! my perfect image of the all-american family would be shattered! unlike tiger, i think he's genuinely, madly in love with his wife and he loves doting on his two boys. anyway, concerning his new album, it's just consistent brad paisley. well produced, well written, well played. besides the fact that brad knows how to tear it up on the guitar (his skills really are incredible), i think there's no question in my mind that the single "then" was the best love song of the year in any genre. that one's going to stand the test of time for sure. standout songs: "then", "she's her own woman", "the pants"



8) SATISFIED - ASHLEY MONROE

ashley's not very well known - yet - but she is a damn good singer/songwriter. i don't know who broke her heart and raked it through the coals for her to write these songs, but they are searing! musically, her voice is almost haunting. she's definitely her own voice, but there's a hint of emmylou, patsy, and lee ann in there. i absolutely looooooove this album and it's on constant rotation at my house and in my car. standout songs: "hank's cadillac", "used", "make room at the bottom", "let me down again."



9) BEAUTIFUL DAY - CHARLIE ROBISON

i missed charlie so much during his five year absence! i get the impression that he's a real scoundrel, but he sure makes some good music and puts on a great live show! this was "the divorce record" and to be sure, it contains the gamut of emotions one experiences after the termination of a relationship: anger, relief, sadness, freedom, revenge, acceptance. i think charlie did a great job of not being too spiteful; though him & em have lost their love, i sense that there's still a lot of respect between them. superb songwriting and classic charlie robison vocals. standout songs: "reconsider", "feelin' good"



10) HAPPINESS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS - CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED

i've never been a maniacal fan of CCR, but i do greatly appreciate their hallowed place in the texas country canon...especially those early days when i used to catch them at the blue light! you absolutely cannot box these guys in and while sometimes they get a little too happy with the tom petty/california influence, i will never deny that they're intelligent and they take risks. hell, just take one look at cody canada and you know he doesn't want to be like anybody else. period. great record, a lot of respect for never selling out. standout songs: "blue bonnets", "pretty lady", "train to birmingham"