Here’s a cute song from Brad Paisley’s second album, 2001’s Part II. It contains all of the signature qualities that would define his music through the following decade-plus.
It’s short, sweet, funny and features a guitar part or two that sound delightfully out of place in a honkytonk country song.
There’s a rich history of lead singers leaving their bands and forging successful solo careers. Morrissey, Sting, Beyoncé, Lionel Richie… the list goes on. Hell, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins did it while fleeing the same band at different times.
Still, I wasn’t very confident that Steven Page’s departure from Barenaked Ladies would serve either of them very well. I figured the band would be weaker and I’d never hear from Page again.
My affection for country music blossomed toward the end of the 00s and really took hold during the first half of this decade.
A quarter of this top twenty list (even more depending on how you categorize some artists) is dedicated to country performers.
Earlier this year, Beck released a sequel (in spirit, if not title) to 2002’s gorgeous break-up album, Sea Change. Morning Phase has the same sad acoustic ambiance of its predecessor, but it is concerned more with mortality and self-fulfillment than heartbreak.
Tift Merritt makes her first appearance on this list, but not her last, with 2012’s Traveling Alone.
This album has a more laid-back, acoustic vibe than her previous work. One thing I love about Merritt is that every one of her records is distinct in sound and mood while remaining undeniably true to her general sensibility.
