Here we are again. Thanksgiving 2025, y’all.
The turkey’s in the oven, somebody’s hiding the good bourbon, and there’s at least one family member asking, “Wait, who is this?” every time a new song comes on. Meanwhile, here in Twangville, we’re doing what we always do: sharing recs, falling in love with new records, and giving thanks for the music that gets us through it all.
This year, we’re kicking off a new little tradition.
From here on out, each Thanksgiving we’ll look back exactly twenty years and pull one of our old Album of the Year picks into the Twangville Hall of Fame. Think of it as the gold record on our scruffy little wall.
For 2025, that means rewinding to 2005 and raising a glass to Kathleen Edwards and her mighty record Back to Me.
Twenty Years with Back to Me
When Back to Me landed in 2005, it felt like someone had drawn a perfect little Venn diagram of what Twangville loves:
- guitars with some grit and swing,
- songs that cut a little deeper the more you live with them, and
- a voice that sounds like it’s seen some things and still shows up with a half-smile and a sharp line.
These songs are full of motion and memory—people leaving, circling back, trying again. Some tracks swagger, some ache, but none of them feel false. It’s the kind of record you can spin straight through and suddenly realize you haven’t skipped a single song in twenty years.
For a young Twangville, Back to Me was a north star. It helped define what “twang” could mean: not just country, not just rock, but that sweet, messy middle where heart, story, and volume all live together.
So Kathleen, wherever this finds you—this Thanksgiving, you’re the guest of honor.
One Big Toast (and Thank You)
So let’s pour a little something, turn the volume up just a bit too loud, and make this official.
Here’s to Kathleen Edwards and Back to Me, still sounding fresh twenty years on.
Here’s to the Twangville writers who sneak in reviews between work and kids and life, stand in the back of tiny clubs on weeknights, and somehow keep finding new ways to say, “You really need to hear this.”
Here’s to the fans and readers who click, listen, share, vote, argue in the comments, send us “you missed this one” emails, and then come back the next week anyway.
And here’s to the artists—from road-worn lifers to first-time uploaders—who give us the songs that hold our lives together. You are the reason this site exists, the reason we have anything to share, and the reason a lot of us make it through the year with our hearts intact.
So wherever you are today—on the road, at the family table, hiding in the kitchen with the good headphones—may your day be full of good food, good company, and at least one song that makes everybody stop and ask:
“Wait… what is this?”
Peace, twang, and turkey grease, y’all.
About the author: Gainesville, FL area creative by day. Music is my muse. I host Twangville’s weekly Readers‘ Pick.