Put A Record On: New Year, Old Music

It's a light week for releases, after all.

Hello friends! It is so not too late to get ready for our Zoom book club next Wednesday, January 10 at 6 p.m. with Chris Molanphy — I breezed through Old Town Road in like a day and learned a ton, it’s fabulous! Pick up a copy from DUP for 30% off with coupon code E23OLTWN, or grab it from your local library or bookstore of choice, and make sure you’re a paying subscriber to DRTI so that you can join in on the Zoom fun next Weds!

The Good

PHOTO: DAVID MCCLISTER

“Highway 87,” Hayes Carll

“Live Free or Die,” Hayes Carll

After Shazaming like three straight Hayes Carll songs (look, I live in Texas), I am acquiescing and working on his catalog. One album in, I’m definitely starting to drink the Kool-Aid. “Highway 87” is, vibewise, sort of the pinnacle of the kind of country song I’m into right now: danceable, with a touch of rock and lyrics that are solid but not too deep for their own good. “Live Free or Die,” written and originally recorded by Bill Morrissey, has a healthy dose of “Your Flag Decal” to it and is a little less potent politically — but I enjoy it all the same, and Carll’s performance splits the difference between conversational and country crooner (the concluding yodel is a fun touch too). — NW

[I’m sorry, I can’t hear a Hayes Carll conversation and not jump right into the middle of it - Carll is one of my all-time favorites and I’m so glad Natalie’s joining the fan club. It’s well worth exploring his whole back catalogue, but for those of you who are newbies, 2022’s You Get It All is a great place to start and work in reverse through there, I honestly think he gets better with time. I’ve been drifting to “Help Me Remember” for pretty personal reasons lately - it’s masterpiece about aging, loss and the things that we often realize matter far too late. And he’s touring with another legendary favorite, Brandy Clark, this winter. Let’s go to a show, Nat? - MM]

“I Know It’ll Never End,” The Castellows: Perfect family harmonies and so damn unapologetically country it’s honestly shocking (in a really, really good way - this is on a major label?!). I’m really excited about these three: with all the talk about this being Country’s Big Year it would be pretty great if the next Big Thing had this much Carter Family and this much banjo. - MM