Although the title is also an album track referring to hair color, the depth of this project goes further than Miranda’s roots.

In every aspect, from production to instrumentation and Wynonna’s sensational performances, this ranks as her absolute best solo effort.

This is a masterful album, replete with wonderful stories and fully drawn characters.

The only real clunker is a lugubrious redo of “Lodi,” featuring John’s sons Tyler and Shane, but otherwise, this should be a must for Fogerty followers.

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.

Their fourth album, The Muscle Shoals Recordings, is an outstanding 11-song offering that lives up to the lofty expectations of its namesake.

With The Woman I Am, Kellie has made a natural evolution while managing to stay true to those things that are important to her.

On this album, she has found what works best for her on the contemporary side and front-loads the project with those songs.

The collection really soars when it blends the personal and the spiritual.

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.

It may not be all pretty, but Something More Than Free is as real as it gets.

Reflections is a must-have for any Don fan, any traditional country fan and anyone who wants to know what Williams acolyte Keith Urban has been crowing about for years.

This is a nicely balanced album that you could listen to repeatedly and still discover fresh, exciting touches with each new listen.

It’s the incredible balance of Lady Antebellum’s many shades that makes this a flight worth catching.

Hunter Hayes has once again produced a collection of music that belies his tender age, not only in content, but in vocal confidence.

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.

Alan’s album is the real thing, a “must” whether you’re a bluegrass buff or just a fan of fine music.

This set proves that good storytelling never goes out of style.

The production team of Tim and Byron Gallimore have struck country music pay dirt with this incredible collection that balances contemporary and traditional styles with amazing subtlety, all without making Tim sound as if he’s trying to keep up with the younger stars--indeed, with Damn Country Music, he’s in the passing lane.

Full Circle stands as a wonderful and welcome piece of work, 14 solid songs that shift easily from Appalachian mountain soul to pure country and even spiritual fare. Plus, Loretta has simply never sounded better.

Each track evokes an emotion, a giggle, a tear or a memory, but always a hunger for what’s next.

A staggeringly great collection of original tunes that paint vivid, honest portraits of real life, from a uniquely feminine perspective.

Kacey adroitly communicates who she is through her music, maturing in her artistry while staying true to herself. Pageant Material deserves to win some sort of title--and it just might.

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.

ZBB has never sounded as energized or as fierce.

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

Down to My Last Bad Habit is simply Vince having loose-limbed fun with his cohorts, resulting in one of the most enjoyable listening experiences you’ll be privy to all year. You’ll want to play it over and over.

With a range of topics that cover bullying (“Kill a Word”) and women running afoul of the law (“Chattanooga Lucy”), there’s plenty to indulge in without coming away bored or feeling like you’ve heard it all before.

Keith promised that Fuse would change things up, and he delivered.

Wrapped in Red is a stylistic maverick, for sure, but the original tunes are worthy of sitting next to the standards, and when Kelly sings, it’s like Christmas all year round.

While he’s done nearly a dozen yesteryear-based solo albums, this one is distinguished by its smartly chosen representation of the Gershwins’ musical breadth and the handpicked, multi-stylistic band (with Mickey Raphael’s winsome yet penetrating harmonica again providing a crucial link to Willie’s larger body of work) fittingly snazzing up the affair while making the most of Willie’s no-dress-code musical fusion.

On Blue Smoke, the country legend travels many different paths and sounds only like herself.

A couple of back-to-back tracks midway through the project bear a sonic similarity to each other, but their topics are so different, you’ll want to keep listening.

His best is pretty dang good.

Like most projects released by Americana singer/songwriter or heritage acts, Tarpaper Sky is best enjoyed like a book, in its entirety as opposed to a chapter here and there.

The Blade further serves to position her as one of the premiere and rare female neo-traditionalists in the format.

At times the slower tempos make the album feel longer than it actually is, but it’s never dull.

The trio’s second album, Annie Up, (thankfully) picks up where their debut, Hell on Heels, left off, offering more engaging studies of real-life heartbreak, domestic inertia and the daily trials of womanhood.

The album’s overall spirit of adventure is summed up in the gorgeous title track, written by the Perrys with fellow family trio The Henningsens. Starting sweet and delicate, it offers a message of encouragement to be bold in the face of uncertainty and doubt as it builds to a thrilling crescendo.

Overall the recording sounds great—warm and intimate without sacrificing polish.

Country music and old-time gospel music have borrowed from each other for decades, but rarely have the two styles blended as flawlessly as on a new offering from one of gospel music's most revered groups.

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.

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

With this, his fourth country album, Darius and his team have most definitely solidified his sound with expertly layered, but not overdone, musical arrangements that add some dimension to his already warmly textured vocals.

If last year’s Heroes, with the tongue-in-cheek “Roll Me Up,” was Willie proving he’s still vital, Let’s Face the Music and Dance is a legend who has seen it all reveling in the melancholy of time’s passing.

Lucky may prove a bit too laid-back for the diehards out there, who might prefer a rougher-edged collection, but this is a fresh take on Merle’s classics, as interpreted by the still-fabulous Suzy.

The River & The Thread will require multiple listens to truly appreciate, so set aside some time to soak in this one.

It’s an album that defines an artist, proving that the Williams name (the daughter of Bocephus, Holly comes from the Hank lineage) remains as trailblazing and unique as ever.

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

The resulting album is earthy, warm and spacious, not sounding too fussed over or suffocated with studio tricks.

Not everything works, however. ... Overall, though, this is the Hank Jr. we’ve been waiting to hear for years, and it’s a welcome return.

Bruce and Kelly let their plaintive, tight harmonies deliver the goods, a refreshing break from the bombast that often substitutes for real emotion in much of the current fare.

Love Is Everything further showcases George’s smooth voice and, perhaps more importantly, his uncanny knack for picking outstanding songs.

A collection that plays into the group’s rock sensibilities without any loss of identity.

This disproves the popular belief that nothing good ever happens in the a.m. There’s plenty of good stuff here.

The musicianship on Wheelhouse is incredible and Brad just keeps on getting more flavorful as a guitarist. Serious music buffs are going to love Wheelhouse, while cursory fans may be left scratching their heads.

It’s his sophomore studio album, See You Tonight, that is really showing some maturity and growth.

The result feels a little something like those beloved ‘80s movies in spirit and aesthetic.

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

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

Chris Young's new 10-track project is tightly packed with solid songs, honoring both family and desires of the flesh.

This disc highlights a collection of substantial songs every bit as relevant as they were in Loretta's heyday.

After the success of his "six-pack" album concept with Hillbilly Bone, Blake is back to delivering a full-length offering of music.

[Reba] singing, "I'll give my heart to a song, but I'll never sell my soul." That's exactly how Reba's approached her career thus far, and what she continues to do on this emotionally charged set of songs.

The sugared tunes would be easy to dismiss except for the credible guitar riffs, foot-tapping rhythms and fiery passion with which Keith sings. Thankfully, it's not all sunshine.

A true duo, Joshua Scott Jones' rugged rock voice blends and contrasts at the right moments with Meghan Linsey's fluid soul singing.

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

The plucky "Bombshell," a nimble instrumental number, is just one example of the shimmering mandolin and fiddle solos that permeate the album.

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

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

Brad Paisley, having been raised on traditional country music, is one of a handful of contemporary stars who could title an album This Is Country Music (with all that the title implies) without raising more than a few eyebrows.

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

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

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

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.

Fans of Matraca's songwriting, who have waited for more than a decade for a new album, will likely agree with another of that song's lyric lines: one more is never enough.

This is easily Carrie's most well-rounded and confident work to date.

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

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

Guy wasn't kidding when he sang "it's got to come from the heart if you want it to work;" here, he and his talented crew prove it, playing and singing like nobody's watching.

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

The album's bluesy country sound may not make waves at radio, but these ladies are on track to give country concertgoers a little hell of their own.

While touching upon Led Zep's more pastoral moments and Raising Sand's rootsy variety, Robert avoids rehashing his former glories.

Producer T Bone Burnett had the foresight to infuse the album's recording with vintage microphones and techniques that would have been used on recording sessions half a century ago.

Darius' brand of country music, much like Radney's, is full of detailed, true-to-life accounts of love, regret and loyalty to childhood stomping grounds.

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

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

Country gospel at its most fervent and rousing.

Overall, this is one of Trace's best collections.

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

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

Mostly introspective, lower-key fare fills out the album's remainder, resulting in an occasional lag in momentum. This, however, is offset by inventiveness and instrumental wizardry, offering those who accept Follow Me Down's tempting invitation entry into a wonderland of musical riches.

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

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.

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.

Ghost on the Canvas is a lovingly produced nod to the musician and his music that summarizes the multiple dimensions of Campbell's remarkable genre-crossing career and, best of all, allows the honoree to help do the honors.

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

Emmylou and Rodney seem at their best with the more up-tempo offerings like Kris Kristofferson’s “Chase the Feeling” and “Bluebird Wine,” which features Rodney’s playful vocals.