New Country and Americana Albums for June 21, 2024: New Music from Rich O’Toole, Eden Brent, and More

June 21, 2024 5:31 pm

We’ve come to the end of the first long workweek of the summer. We’re kicking off the summer with a stack of new country and Americana albums. This week’s release radar is pretty short on “big names” if one overlooks the list of artists on the Tom Petty tribute record. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of great new music this week.

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First, Petty Country contains covers of classic Tom Petty songs from some of the biggest names in mainstream country music. Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Dolly Parton, and many more contributed songs to the collection. Additionally, Eden Brent released a brilliant album packed with boogie-woogie piano blues that is all but impossible to walk away from.

Standout Albums

There is so much good music this week for those who are willing to do a little digging. Jack McKeon and Rich O’Toole both released shining gems today.

Ghost, the new album from Texas-based country singer Rich O’Toole has a little something for everyone. The album opener, “That Hill Country Sound” is the kind of song that will put just about any listener in a good mood. Then, there’s “John O’Reilly” an O’Toole original about a bare-knuckle boxer that sounds like an Irish folk tune. The title track is a little more somber, grounding things just shy of the album’s halfway mark.

Overall, O’Toole proves that one doesn’t have to be a fresh-faced twenty-something to make good, interesting, independent country music.

Standout Tracks: “Last Laugh Samantha” “Roll to G-Town” “John O’Reilly”

Jack McKeon’s Talking to Strangers is the kind of bluegrass album that is perfect for watching the sun go down at the end of a long, hot, summer day. The traditional instrumentation—acoustic guitar, standup bass, mandolin, fiddle, and dobro—gives the record a sense of place. At the same time, this isn’t the blazing-fast bluegrass full of instrumental breaks that make lesser players’ fingers hurt on the first listen. Instead, the instrumentation serves the slice-of-life songs penned by McKeon.

A poet, storyteller, and songwriter, Jack McKeon calls ‘em as he sees ‘em on Talking to Strangers’ 10 tracks. Like the instrumentation, his vocal delivery fits these songs like a glove.

Standout Tracks: “Crooked Teeth” “Waffle House Wonder” “Paler Shade of Blue”