New Country and Americana Albums for July 12, 2024: New Music from Megan Moroney, Johnny Blue Skies, and More

July 12, 2024 11:29 am

We’ve come to the end of another long workweek and we’ve received a wealth of new music as our reward. The only thing hotter than the temperature this weekend is the stack of new country and Americana albums that dropped today. Listeners who can’t find something to crank up in the list below should probably dig into other genres because this is one of the best release weeks of the year.

Videos by American Songwriter

The list of new albums below features plenty of independent and traditional country and albums from good mainstream artists as well. Additionally, we got the return of Sturgill Simpson in the form of Johnny Blue Skies. Those who are in the mood for a good live album will find a couple of those in the list below as well. This week brought a little something for everyone.

Standout Albums

Picking standout releases in a week like this isn’t easy. It would be simple to point to Passage Du Desir which is already being hailed as Album of the Year by many fans. Then, there is the stellar new album from Megan Moroney. However, there are plenty more gems just under the surface for those who want to dig a little deeper.

For instance, country legend Steve Earle blessed the world with a live acoustic album featuring some of his best-loved songs. Then, there’s the fantastic and country-as-hell new record from Ben Jarrell.

Last year, Earle kicked off his Alone Again Tour, a solo acoustic trek that saw him traveling the United States and beyond playing some of his biggest hits without his band. About that tour, Earle said, “October before last I woke up without a band. I had toured with one version of The Dukes or another since 1982, but the real continuous bloodline of the outfit died with my longtime bass player, Kelly Looney, in 2019.” So, he struck out on his own, like he did when he got his start playing coffeehouses.

Earle has aged like fine bourbon and it shows in his voice. He runs through each of the album’s 15 tracks comfortably, giving them the grit that can only come from age and experience. In short, it’s a fantastic live collection.

Standout Songs: “Copperhead Road” “Guitar Town” “Transcendental Blues”

Every country fan knows one person who will say some variation of “Nobody makes good country music anymore.” A Country Song will prove just how wrong they are. Steeped in pedal steel, fiddle, and country tradition, Alabama native Ben Jarrell has created one of the best country records of the year.

Pressing “play” on A Country Song is like taking a trip back in time. It would be easy to believe that this collection of songs had been sitting on a shelf for decades just waiting to be discovered.

Standout Songs: “’Til Forever Comes Around” “A Country Song” “Crooked Moon”