Best Country Album: 'Hell on Heels'
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"Hell on Heels," the debut album from The Pistol Annies -- Ashley Monroe, left, Angaleena Presley and Miranda Lambert -- was a country winner.
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Between greenhorns proclaiming themselves outlaws, tired young Shania clones and formulaic dreck aimed at radio, these 10 albums, a mix of new and old, stood out:
1. Pistol Annies, "Hell on Heels": Angaleena Presley's concept of a no-nonsense girl group finally coalesced earlier this spring when Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe joined her to create this perfect confluence of hard-hitting material and well-focused, proudly twangy performances. They bear down on every number, be it the smoldering title track, "Lemon Drop's" plaintive optimism or the somber divorce number "Housewife's Prayer." Serious moments, however, are more than balanced by the witty, astringent "Takin' Pills," "Bad Example" and "Trailer for Rent." Spinoff projects are usually very good or very bad -- no in between. This one's stunning from start to finish.
2. Toby Keith, "Clancy's Tavern": This worthy follow-up to his 2010 triumph "Bullets in the Gun" followed patterns of past albums. It offers a patriotic narrative ("Made in America"), odes to boozing and partying (the loopy "Red Solo Cup") and the title song: a heartfelt, slice-of-life title number honoring his grandmother and the Arkansas club she once ran. The more pensive "Just Another Sundown" and "Club Zydeco Moon's" eerie bayou ambience expanded his range, and the deluxe edition offered four classic rock and country tunes.
3. Buddy Miller "Majestic Silver Strings": Buddy Miller, it seems, is everywhere. He performs and records with wife Julie, produces and plays guitar on others' albums and leads the Band of Joy for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. It's hard to believe he had time to record this satisfying blend of re-imagined material country, pop and folk favorites, aided by Emmylou Harris, Julie Miller, Shawn Colvin and Lee Ann Womack, with instrumental enhancements from Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell.
4. George Strait, "Here for a Good Time": George Strait's reputation for quality and consistency remains a gold standard 30 years after he first cracked the national charts. His music retains its Texas flavor, and his songwriting equals his vocal talents. Along with the upbeat fare are his explorations of alcoholism, spirituality, fame's less savory side and a ballad reflecting on his long career and eventual retirement from the stage.
5. Miranda Lambert, "Four the Record": Her first album in two years is a worthy successor to her 2009 album "Revolution." "Fastest Girl in Town" and "Same Old You" follow in the footsteps of her earlier, acerbic work while "All Kinds of Kinds" is a straightforward plea for tolerance. The bluesy, acoustic "Easy Living" succeeds thanks to its relaxed understatement. Likewise, her duet with husband Blake Shelton on "Better in the Long Run" is a love song free of the cliched pomposity that renders most power ballads impotent.
6. Vince Gill, "Guitar Slinger": Five years after his last album, he's addressing familiar themes of life, love, nostalgia and loss on a dozen tunes he wrote or co-wrote. The title song is autobiographical; he brilliantly evokes the non-interstate byways of his native Oklahoma on "The Old Lucky Diamond Motel." "True Love," sung with wife Amy Grant, is one of several unpretentious love ballads. The album's elegiac side consists of three forthright numbers dealing with death: "Threaten Me With Heaven," "Billy Paul" and "Buttermilk John," a farewell to his late steel guitarist John Hughey.
7. Ashton Shepherd, "Where Country Grows": Her scathing single "Look It Up" reveals her potential to become the fourth Pistol Annie, for like them, she has attitude to burn. Her sharp, nuanced songwriting skills come through on "When It Ain't Raining," the Saturday night-Sunday morning themed "Trying to Go to Church," "I'm Just a Woman" and "Rory's Radio," a moving memoir of her brother's late friend.
8. Hot Club of Cowtown, "What Makes Bob Holler: A Tribute to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys": A western swing band in miniature, this Austin, Texas, trio have played the music of Bob Wills (and related acts) for nearly 18 years. Even without a drummer, singer-fiddler Elana James, vocalist-electric guitarist Whit Smith and upright bass player Jake Erwin create full-bodied, danceable versions of "Osage Stomp" and 13 other tunes associated with that celebrated band.
9. Connie Smith, "Long Line of Heartaches": When she emerged in the mid-'60s with "Once a Day" and other hits, she stood out for her power and passion. She still does. Husband and fellow Opry star Marty Stuart's wise production creates a musical ambience similar to her '60s sound. Combined with first-rate original material ("I'm Not Blue") and a few older tunes like Roy Drusky's "Anymore" and the results are virtually flawless.
10. Merle Haggard, "Working in Tennessee": Forty years ago, Merle Haggard left prison; more recently, he beat back lung cancer. Like his earlier albums, this one's brimming with fun, sober introspection, barbed wit, social comment and the usual nods to tradition. The title track's powered by wry humor, and "Too Much Boogie Woogie" mocks contemporary country's shallower aspects. "What I Hate" reflects his staunch populism. But the true constant here is the 74-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer's sheer resiliency.
TOP AMERICANA
To me, at any given moment, the Americana field mixes brilliance and promise with often-tedious self-indulgence. Even so, five roots albums stood out in 2011.
Foster & Lloyd, "It's Already Tomorrow" reunites the late '80s duo for a gritty album that literally -- and effectively -- picks up where it left off 20 years ago.
Various artists, "I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow" was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Children's Record. The album re-imagines and honors the legendary Nashville songwriter's whimsical 1974 children's album.
Ben Hall, "Ben Hall" is a stunning instrumental album by a young musician building on the fingerstyle guitar styles pioneered decades ago by Merle Travis and Chet Atkins
Brian Setzer, "Goes Instru-MENTAL!" Another Grammy nominee, this one showcases the Stray Cats founder's blazing and surprisingly versatile Gretsch guitar pyrotechnics.
Various artists, "The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams" features Bob Dylan and others (Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson, Jack White, Norah Jones, etc.) finishing and recording songs the iconic singer-songwriter left in various stages of completion.
First Published December 22, 2011 12:00 am
