2024 was a stellar 12 months for albums in nation music. Although in some respects, the impression of lots of these stellar albums was felt on the periphery of nation music versus the bullseye.
Sturgill Simpson made his triumphant return as Johnny Blue Skies, and Passage Du Desir was nearly every thing Sturgill followers needed, even when only some of the songs may very well be characterised as “nation.”
2024 will go down because the 12 months The Pink Clay Strays noticed their large breakout, constructed from the inspiring actions of their new album Made By These Moments. However as they admit themselves, they’re not likely a rustic band, and as an alternative hit on the sides of nation and its surrounding roots influences.
The identical may very well be mentioned for Shane Smith and the Saints, who launched a large and sweeping epic in Norther that’s onerous to seek out any fault in, however doesn’t match properly within the “nation” mildew. Silverada persevered by means of a polarizing identify change to launch what many think about as their favourite album of 2024. However their self-titled launch additionally takes one step away from nation versus a step towards it.
49 Winchester’s Leavin’ The Holler left nothing to second guess. Jamey Johnson’s return after 14 years with Midnight Gasoline confirmed no rust or put on to his enterprise-level songwriting. And Billy Strings delighted us all with the 12 months’s biggest work of bluegrass within the wonderful and surprisingly pure Freeway Prayers.
However in 2024, it was the ladies who launched most of the stone chilly nation albums. Emily Nenni’s Drive & Cry is among the countriest and twangiest affairs you’ll ever expertise, and wickedly entertaining by means of Nenni’s infectious and distinctive vocal supply. Kimmi Bitter and Previous College was like a basic nation dream come to life within the current day, and if type holds, she ought to have a really promising profession transferring ahead.
Roadrunner by Kaitlin Butts is a career-level report itself with an unbelievable cinematic imaginative and prescient, and was launched in a 12 months when Kaitlin began by profitable an Ameripolitan Award, launched her first headlining tour, and broke out into the better consciousness of nation music. Few if anybody labored tougher than Kaitlin in 2024, and that is the rationale she was named the runner up for Artist of the 12 months.
And irrespective of who wins Saving Nation Music’s Album of the 12 months, Karen Jonas will all the time have the highest-rated assessment of the 12 months with a very earned 9.4 for her unbelievable, imaginative, and cohesive conceptualized work, The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch.
All of the nominees for the 2024 Saving Nation Music Album of the 12 months deserve nothing however reward for being catalysts for the nation music revolution we’re at the moment having fun with, together with all the opposite initiatives within the 2024 Important Albums Listing.
However in a particularly tight 12 months for top-rated initiatives, it’s Saving Nation Music’s 2023 Artist of the 12 months Sierra Ferrell and her 2024 mission Path of Flowers that takes the prize.
Like a lone flower sprouting up by means of a hairline crack in a barren subject of blanched concrete stretching out for miles in each course, Sierra Ferrell symbolizes the hope and dedication of magnificence to push by means of and never be vanquished even among the many most making an attempt of instances, and probably the most foreboding of circumstances.
The world by no means knew it wanted Sierra Ferrell. Now it feels prefer it couldn’t exist in correct order with out her.
Sierra stoked the creativeness and curiosity with Path of Flowers, whereas additionally staunchly preserving and paying ahead nation music’s most elemental roots. She additionally left a big and lasting cultural impression on nation music and the better roots world with music that speaks to the American expertise in each a timeless and starkly related method.
And irrespective of the ideological or philosophical strategy—or the person style of the creator—we’ve seen many shops, pundits, and critics all push Path of Flowers ahead as their prime album of 2024, or close to the highest of end-of-year lists. It additionally obtained extra votes than another choice amongst Saving Nation Music readers among the many nominees.
Now it’s on to 2025, the place hopefully Sierra Ferrell, all of the Album of the 12 months nominees, and the better impartial nation and roots world continues to seek out the success and help it deserves, and we proceed to look at nation music in all of its varied types be saved in actual time.
