April has been an amazing month for country music. Every week, we’ve seen great new albums from established artists and up-and-comers, as well as debuts from some incredible independent artists. The batch of records that dropped today features a mix of hitmakers, rising stars, and Outsider favorites. In short, no matter what you’re getting into this weekend, these releases will provide the perfect soundtrack.
New Albums for April 22, 2022
- Neon Blue – Joshua Hedley (New West Records)
- Lil G.L. Presents: Jukebox Charley – Charley Crockett (Son of Davy Records/Thirty Tigers)
- Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee – Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder (Perro Verde/Nonesuch Records)
- Just Like That… – Bonnie Raitt (Redwing Records)
- Paint This Town – Old Crow Medicine Show (ATO Records)
- Georgia – Jason Aldean (Capitol Nashville/BBR Music Group)
- All for the Song – Railroad Earth (Independent)
- Jukebox Fury – Dale Watson (Cleopatra Records)
- Masquerades – Tenille Townes (Sony Music Entertainment)
I feel like this is a list of new albums that our fellow Outsiders can get behind. There’s a little something for everyone. If you’re into radio-ready country, Jason Aldean’s Georgia will satisfy. If you lean more toward the good old days of country music, Charley Crockett and Joshua Hedley have you covered. Do you need some rock-solid Piedmont blues in your life? Well, allow me to direct you to the new Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder collaboration. I don’t know what will happen this weekend, but I know it’ll sound great.
Jukebox Fury
Jukebox Fury is one of two new cover albums with the word “jukebox” in the title. Both this record and Jukebox Charley are packed with reimaginings of stellar songs from the past. However, Dale Watson casts a wider net. Jukebox Fury feels like sitting in a local dive while the jukebox plays. Watson covers Bob Seger, Gordon Lightfoot, Waylon Jennings, John Fogerty, and more. He and his band shift styles several times throughout the record to perfectly fit each song.
The song selection on this record is superb and Watson’s vocal delivery is spot-on throughout.
Get On Board
I’m not a blues scholar and don’t pretend to be. However, you don’t have to have a solid grasp of the history and regional specificities of the blues to know that Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder knocked it out of the park with this new album. They bring new life to the songs of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee while potentially introducing the Piedmont Blues giants to a whole new audience.
Paint This Town
Old Crow Medicine Show is one of those bands that consistently delivers. Paint This Town has a little more depth than their previous releases. These songs seem much more personal to Ketch and the band. In the title track, the band tells their story over an arrangement that feels like classic rock tinged with harmonica and mandolin. However, there are songs that are the kind of up-tempo bluegrass-tinged Americana that we’ve come to expect from them. Don’t sleep on this new album.
