There's plenty here for country fans of pretty much any ilk.

Release Me provides a clear picture of Lovett's stylistic bedrock, and reminds that he's stood steadfast upon it all along.

Lyrically and musically, the songs stream effortlessly from accessible to intricate, creating an estimable country album with a steady undercurrent of blues and rock.

This road-tested group boasts tightknit sibling harmonies and an ear-pleasing tribute to the joys and tragedies of working folk and weekend warriors.

Country gospel at its most fervent and rousing.

If that weren't the case, the well-rounded first installment of Remember Me would nonetheless serve as a modest but fitting memorial to a world-class artist, as well as a testament to Willie's enduring musical ties to Nashville.

Her recurring implication that this life may be all we have is a bold notion that may bring relief or dismay-and your response to that notion will tell you whether or not Hello Cruel World is an album you'll greet with open arms.

Overall, though the lyric content is among the best on a Tim McGraw album to date.

There's plenty of room on these 11 tracks for Kellie's steely determination to shine.

Only a real party-pooper would deny Guy's talented pals the chance to respectfully demonstrate how well this stuff still works.

If you've ever been worried that good old Southern-fried boogie is an endangered species, then Dixie Lullabies should help you rest a little easier.

Even if the whole affair is something of a lark, Norah's songbird stylings and The Willies' uncluttered arrangements send it skyward.

This is no less than the story of a flawed man finding his own greatness--the primary factor behind the power and substance of these simple, no-frills performances, as well as the reason why any serious fan of Cash or country music history will want to walk the line it so compellingly traces.

David could be country music's most soulful singer since Ronnie Dunn.

Country die-hards are likely to favor something sturdier, but listeners who walk on the wilder side are sure to find a few kicks inside Little Red Boots.

Joe is at his best on the traditional romps like "This Ole Boy" and "No Truck, No Boat, No Girl."

While it lacks the emotional heft of Merle's acclaimed 2010 album, I Am What I Am, the cancer survivor's latest album boasts plenty of flinty independence.

With due respect to her previous fine efforts, Four the Record is easily Miranda's best album yet.

Vince's superb musicianship leaves the spotlight on these poignant songs.

It's all life, and Martina, with her unforced country-pop sensibility, gets it all to add up on Eleven.

Hitting a sweet spot between honky-tonk and the more sophisticated Nashville Sound of yore, Long Line of Heartaches delivers unapologetically traditional fare without resorting to self-conscious nostalgia.

Despite the album's title, she plays it safe rather than wild.

Ranging from jazzy jaunts to breezy tropical confections and varied country and blues hues, the sometimes-scattered Ready for Confetti is a multicolored parade in which even the shovel-pusher walking behind the horses can find that hope happens, too.

This winning formula should keep you around for quite a while.

This Texas-bred singer knows how to convey heartfelt and complex emotions with one clever turn of a phrase.

Even the least attractive and most un-country voices heard here (let's not name names) have a unique, soulful quality that makes them suited for the deeply felt sentiments that fill The Lost Notebooks, a package that finds the heart of real country music still beating and Hank's vital presence anything but lost.

Overall, a solid debut from a young, still-maturing artist.

For the most part, Lady Antebellum strikes a nice balance between the two, keeping the penchant for bighearted ballads and the vocal chemistry between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott intact.