Chris Knight: The Trailer Tapes

Knight recorded these demos back in 1996; just him and his acoustic guitar. No studio trickery or fancy dressing on the eleven tunes. Knight is cut from the same cloth as guys like Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark. This is raw and real songwriting, and it doesn’t get much better.

Bobby Pinson: Songs For Somebody

Pinson released one of the best albums of 2005, Man Like Me. Unfortunately, RCA dumped Pinson and his (reportedly) bad attitude before his music took hold of the public. Songs For Somebody is in the same vein as Man Like Me. Pinson is a killer singer/songwriter, one of Nashville’s best right now.

Lori McKenna: Unglamorous

It seemed like Lori McKenna came out of nowhere after Faith Hill recorded three of her songs, but the Boston singer/songwriter has been honing her craft for years. The mother of five is the real deal, and even major label Nashville couldn’t convince her to sell her soul.

Eagles: Long Road Out of Eden

Nearly three decades after their last studio release, Don Henley and Co. flipped this fine two disc collection on their fans. Listening to the twenty tracks is like stepping back in time. The boys still have it and prove that great songs will win out every time.

Casting Crowns: The Alter & The Door

Some really solid Christian music coming down the pipe these days. Mark Hall and his mates in Casting Crowns know how to write heartfelt songs that reflect their faith without sounding preachy. "What This World Needs" is one of the coolest rock songs this year, in any genre.

Todd Agnew: Better Questions

Agnew is a damn fine singer/songwriter. The fact that he’s a Christian might scare a few people off, but those smart enough to pick up a copy of Better Questions are in for a real treat. Agnew is a realist, and as far from a cliche Christian as you can get.

Josh Turner: Everything Is Fine

Turner continues to grow as both a songwriter and a singer. Traditional country music has fallen by the wayside for the most part, but thankfully radio programmers haven’t closed the door completely. "Another Try," a duet with Trisha Yearwood, is an absolutely gorgeous cut.

Joe Bonamassa: Sloe Gin

Blues-rocker Bonamassa doesn’t rely on tired chord progressions or formulaic lyrics. The guy can cut it up on the guitar, but he has a great voice as well. Covers of Chris Whitley’s "Ball Peen Hammer" and Bad Company’s "Seagull" kept this CD in my car stereo for weeks.

Robert Plant/Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

When the Raising Sand advance landed on my desk, I was prepared to be underwhelmed. I like Led Zeppelin and love Alison Krauss, but I thought Plant and Krauss had finally overstepped themselves. Boy, was I wrong. Raising Sand is one of the best albums released so far in the 21st Century.

Dwight Yoakam: Dwight Sings Buck

Yoakam is the coolest honky tonk cat on the planet. I usually avoid tribute albums, but if anyone was qualified to do a collection like this, it was Dwight. Buck Owens gets the send-off he deserves, from a close friend whose loves shines brightly on this fifteen track disc. They don’t make ‘em like Buck (or Dwight) anymore.

Close calls:

Bruce Springsteen: Magic/ Sara Groves: Tell Me What You Know/ Gordon Mote: Don’t Let Me Miss The Glory/ Joe Nichols: Real Things/ Trisha Yearwood: Heaven, Heartache & The Power Of Love