Whiskeytown
Stranger's Almanac
Outpost

To me, a great album is one that can stand the test of time. How often can I hear a record before getting tired enough of it to put it away for months, years, forever? Think about it. How many discs do you have in your collection that might get played once a year, or only at parties? Stranger's Almanac has been on my CD player at least twice a week since it came out in 1997. And I have yet to get even a little tired of it. This is perhaps the purest example of what I was talking about in my intro. This is real New Country music '90's style. A great combination of Hank Williams pathos, punk soul, and whiskey soaked tears. Ryan Adams, the man behind this band, has obviously taken that old Donnie and Marie song to heart. Each track on Stranger's Almanac is a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. But don't be mistaken, this is in no way a rock album, and in no way a country record. It is an amazing hybrid of the two. Perfect songs full of lost love, personal demons, and heartbreaking melancholy. From the weirdly uplifting sadness of "Houses On The Hill" to the paranoia of "Waiting To Derail," this is in every way a five-star, two-thumbs-up, friggin' brilliant record from a band that has just begun to change the musical landscape of New Country. If there is any justice in the world, Whiskeytown will be hauling their drunk asses up to the podium at some future Country Music Awards ceremony and barfing all over Shania's jeans.

-Tommy S.

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