Vol. 1, No. 3 – Country Universe

Kane Brown is at the forefront with his strongest album to date.

Kapali Long

The routines (EP)

The songwriting could be a little more polished – there are some distracting pauses in the beat throughout – but Long has a distinctive point of view and the clarity of his vocal tone is impressive. Sonically, there’s an accessibility here that’s designed for broad appeal.

The Doohickeys

None of them have any livestock

I always think that irony is corrosive when it comes to things like this, but honestly, is this duo ever talented enough to get away with a lot? Helps that a good percentage of the jokes land, but even more so that they’re both sneakily good singers.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart

Looking for the thread

Every single song here is beautiful and thoughtful, if about a minute too long. As the album progresses, the insistent seriousness and overly dark aesthetic become a chore that undermines this trio’s talents. So… basically the same for a modern MCC.

Ty Myers

The selection

Even though it feels like a child dressing up (very convincingly), there’s a whole world of promise here. Myers is already an impressive talent and has the makings of a superstar once his voice and perspective are truly developed. We hope he is surrounded by good people by then.

Kane Brown

The High Street

The best example yet of how the path Brown is taking sets him apart from his mainstream peers. It’s in the way he sings of others as complete human beings and shows genuine interest in their inner lives.

As reactionary politics and fierce anti-intellectualism take hold in the country mainstream, it’s rightfully important that one of the genre’s A-listers be someone who displays a righteous attitude curiosity about other people. Everyone he sings about on this album is a person described as having agency. This is far more important than the need to edit a few fill tracks.

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