Everybody Talkin’ ’bout the All American, JD McPherson (from the Rounder Records release Let The Good Times Roll)
Let’s just call this the dance hit of the year. One listen and you’ll know what I mean.
You Got To Me, James McMurtry (from the Complicated Game Records release Complicated Game)
On a given day I’d tell you that any one of several tracks from McMurtry’s latest was my favorite. If I have to, I guess I’ll settle on this melancholy song that reflects on a wedding ceremony with the perspective of knowing that the marriage didn’t last.
Amarillo, Ryan Culwell (from the Lightning Rod Records release Amarillo)
A somber yet moving ballad that mixes two-thirds self-doubt with one-third hope.
Shoot Out the Lights, Jimbo Mathus (from the Fat Possum Records release Blue Healer)
It’s been a solid year for music so far, but it’s tended towards the acoustic and mellow end of the spectrum. Leave it to Jimbo Mathus to bring the rave-up.
Lucky, Session Americana (from the self-released Pack Up the Circus)
It’s hard to capture the freewheeling spirit of Session Americana’s live show but this song comes pretty darn close. They suck you in with a great hook and some tasty harmonica licks; watch out when the horns kick in!
View Part one of my favorite songs from 2015 (so far) here.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.