If you’ve ever bemoaned the absence of traditional country sounds in an era of pop, rock and even hip-hop production, be still—Ashley Monroe is throwing you a country music lifeline.

The project truly succeeds because of the various voices in The SteelDrivers, who consider their bluegrass to be one painted from a darker palette--which, at times, can feel a little too dark.

You’ll want to hit the road and play this one over and over.

Set You Free doesn't sound like every other album coming out of the Nashville factory these days-and that's definitely a good thing.

Ultimately, there's enough in this big box to last a fan weeks, months and years. It's not all equal, but it certainly leaves no stone unturned.

This album brings together a diverse lineup of artists for a collection that promotes the message that God has more to do with love than religion.

His recorded albums, and even his mesmerizing live show, have gradually incorporated a country sound. That trend continues on his latest, the rewarding 14-song Rebel Soul.

Easton gives fans of traditional country everything they've been missing.

Bocephus-like clarinets, old-timey lyrics and Toby's smooth-as-whiskey delivery assure purists that there is still Hope for classic barroom singalongs.

Kip's grainy, warm and confident vocal delivery ties the tales together into a believable tapestry.

Red may not be a bona fide country album, but it could very well be a pop masterpiece, more in line with P!nk's latest, The Truth About Love, than even Red's predecessor, Speak Now.

In honoring his friend and inspiration, the late writer Hank Cochran, Jamey Johnson recorded one of the most heartfelt albums of the year.

With these 15 tracks, it's clear he can do it all pretty damn good.

Open your ears, open your mind, press play and Free the Music.

Though he's capable of being playfully satisfied, Dwight is at his best when he's consumed by yearning.

Uncaged, does nothing to tarnish their sterling image and even manages to expand it a bit.

Adventurous roots-music aficionados will want to book themselves a date for Traveler, a masterfully planned Dixieland journey that lets the good times roll easy.

Hank's been bruised but not broken, and Old School's aggressive attitude evidences that he still rules, with or without reinforcements, on his particular piece of the playground.

Live in Japan-an album unreleased in the U.S. until now-shows the entertainer in good form, doing a lightweight, crowd-pleasing set especially indicative of the dead-center-mainstream approach that had cemented his fame.

Collectively, they touch upon a complex range of emotions and interconnections, supported by sparse and countrified instrumentation that sets an appropriately Texan tone.

As the potent observations on And So It Goes make clear, time is indeed ticking away, though Don's comforting, timeless-sounding presentation of these top-flight tunes can sometimes make it seem otherwise.

"Family" oozes with humility and domestic contentment, while the gentle, Nashville-leaning "Lucky That Way" (sung with Kenny Chesney on Crossroads) is a Walsh mini-biography

Kenny's sincere vocal delivery and the lyric content of each track are promising--but together, they register barely above maudlin, thanks to an overabundance of puttering tempos and downtrodden story lines.

Far from being a punching bag, this album contains enough musical muscle to throw a few punches of its own.

His label home may have changed, but his everyman approach to songwriting holds steady.

Heroes indicates that the future is in good hands.

On his latest, Marty meshes country with Memphis rockabilly and bluegrass-inspired background vocals throughout the disc.

While Snider has been more entertaining and melodically engaging on previous efforts, here he risks trying to get his head around the disturbing times in which we live and, just as importantly, to avoid clichéd responses.