Top Albums of 2016 (So Far!): Part 3

2016 has been a fantastic year for country music, and you can read Parts 1 and 2 of my Top Albums of the Year here and here. Now that we’re ¾ of the way through the year, it’s time for another update – read on to find out what albums I think (in no particular order) are worthy of high praise!

Ward Thomas – Cartwheels

Why it made the list: Everyone had high expectations for the ‘Queens of UK country’s second album release, and I was pleased to see they lived up to expectations to become the first country album to reach Number 1 on the UK charts. Perhaps my favourite part of the album was noticing that the girls had maintained their Britishness, which you can hear very clearly not only in their vocals but their lyrics too – this is something that’s often missing from UK country acts who tend to add an American twang to their songs, and I’m pleased Ward Thomas decided not to follow suit. Some of the songs, like Guilty Flowers and Carry You Home, are filled with flawless harmonies and catchy choruses aplenty, and this coupled with the occasional ballad such as Safe and Almost Easy make for a well rounded album, even if there are a few tracks I tend to skip through. Cartwheels isn’t perfect, and there’s certainly a mix of strong songs and less strong songs, but it’s a solid album nonetheless and has done an excellent job of paving the way for what I hope will be increased exposure for this underrated genre.

Top Tracks: Where the Sky Is, Lose Me, Almost Easy

Florida Georgia Line – Dig Your Roots

Why it made the list: Dig Your Roots was without a doubt my most highly anticipated album of 2016 – I’d loved FGL’s previous releases and was hoping that the only way they could go was up. I think they delivered. The album has such a range of music styles, there’s bound to be something for everyone, whether that’s the reggae-infused Life Is a Honeymoon, super-strong love ballad H.O.L.Y or summer jam Island. Tyler and Brian tackle a lot of topics with this album, ranging from love and heartbreak to life and death; and I reckon that Dig Your Roots has some of their best lyrics yet – just take a listen to songs like Lifer and God, Your Mama and Me and you’ll see what I mean. Another thing that must be said is that Brian gets a lot more airtime on this album than he’s had before, and I really enjoyed hearing his solos. Every song on this album is so strong in its own right – I just wish everyone would listen to it.

Top Tracks: Summerland, God Your Mama and Me, May We All

Jake Owen – American Love

Why it made the list: Jake Owen is the kind of guy whose music you want to listen to on days when you don’t feel like doing much. He’s got a very chill vibe that fits his persona perfectly, and this is clear as day in songs like Everybody Dies Young and Good Company which has lyrics like ‘got what we need to make good vibes, good times and damn good memories,’ and good vibes is what you get with Jake’s latest album. It’s easy to have your head bopping along to tracks like American Love with its ‘clap-along’ feel and guitar solos, but if there’s one thing missing it’s the storytelling element as I felt some of the songs didn’t have too much substance behind the words. Nevertheless, Jake’s sound has evolved since previous releases, with less lyrics about ‘painted on jeans’ and trucks (although there is still one song about a VW Van), and I really enjoyed when he slowed it down with tracks like the rootsy LAX which is filled with wonderful steel guitar sounds. All in all, it’s a feel-good album, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Top Tracks: LAX, Good Company, Where I Am

Chris Lane – Girl Problems

Why it made the list: If you didn’t have Fix stuck in your head for most of the summer, I don’t know where you’ve been. This catchy debut single sets the mood for Girl Problems with many songs making it easy to imagine rocking out to at a Chris Lane concert. Chris Lane’s latest album might seem like it could just be another country-pop proposition, but it manages to stand out quite substantially in a number of ways, the first of which is that there’s no mistaking whose album it is, thanks to Chris’ signature falsetto which soars on songs like For Her and All The Time (which reminded me of popular band DNCE – why doesn’t Chris have the same recognition?) The second reason is due to the unmistakable R&B influence on the album, with my favourite track being a cover of Mario’s Let Me Love You. This is quite the unexpected track to be found on a country album, but it really works. It’s these two elements which really made Girl Problems stand out to me. Sure, it might be very pop, but it’s different and exciting, and Chris has found a way to separate himself out from the rest. In this genre, where every singer is so distinctive (I’d find it hard to draw too many similarities between Chris Stapleton and Florida Georgia Line), artists need a way to differentiate themselves, and with Girl Problems, Chris has done just that.

Top Tracks: Let Me Love You, For Her, Her Own Kind of Beautiful

Did I miss anything? Let me know on Twitter @CiarasCountry! I’ll be adding another installment of this series before the year is over, and I’d love to get your input – what are some albums coming out before the end of 2016 that you think deserve a spot on the list?