I live in NYC these days but am fortunate to be connected to the music scenes of two cities in which I previously lived – Boston and Dallas. Artists from both metropolitan areas have released some exceptional music this year. Here are a few favorites. Love it local.
LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER (BOSTON YOU’RE MY HOME)
Little By Little and Piece By Piece by Ward Hayden and the Outliers
Ward Hayden and the Outliers released two Springsteen tribute albums this year, filtering the Boss’s narratives through their distinctive country lens. Across both releases they reshape classics like “The Promised Land” and “Dancing in the Dark” with fiddle, pedal steel, and Hayden’s expressive vocals—finding new emotional depths while honoring the original storytelling. The band strikes a careful balance between reverence and reinvention, turning rock urgency into introspective meditation and grim industrial laments into vivid country sorrow. The result offers something fresh for both longtime Springsteen devotees and fans of the Outliers’ rootsy craft. (More Ward Hayden and the Outliers coverage)
Ghosts in the Garden by Kris Delmhorst
On Ghosts in the Garden, Kris Delmhorst crafts an album where warmth and melancholy intertwine, exploring mortality, heartbreak, and longing with unflinching emotional honesty. From the haunting opener “Wolves” to the desperate rocker “Won’t Be Long” and the spare beauty of “Beyond the Boundaries,” she showcases a remarkable ability to marry evocative lyrics with rich musical settings. While these songs don’t shy away from darkness, Delmhorst’s artful songwriting infuses them with a quiet charm that makes them deeply absorbing. (More Kris Delmhorst coverage)
Will Dailey’s Boys Talking wraps intimate reckonings with grief, loneliness, and late-night restlessness in sleek, funk-tinged pop-rock that radiates quiet optimism. From the direct plea of “Send Some Energy” to the AI-era isolation of “Make Another Me,” Dailey balances solitude with sophisticated production that never loses its warmth. (More Will Dailey coverage)
Where We Are by Session Americana
Earlier this year, Session Americana released Island Barn Cafe, a one-of-a-kind album stored on a single digital player meant to pass from listener to listener. It’s hard to contain great music, so the band returned later in the year with Where We Are, a limited-edition release that combines a few Island Barn Cafe standouts with several new songs. The collection captures the band’s wanderlust (“Big Road Blues,” “Leaving Dublin”) and daybreak anxiety (“Blue Before Dawn,” “In the Morning”), along with a few rockers served up in Session Americana’s relaxed yet infectious style (“Upside,” John Prine’s “It’s a Big Old Goofy World”). Put it all together, and Where We Are overflows with tremendous songwriting and instrumental prowess. (More Session Americana coverage)
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
Tropicana and Stuff by Joshua Ray Walker
After successfully battling cancer, Joshua Ray Walker made up for lost time in 2025 with two remarkable albums that showcase different facets of his artistry. June’s Tropicana is an irresistibly joyful collection inspired by his fantasies of ocean breezes and sandy beaches during chemotherapy confinement—the kind of album guaranteed to put an ear-to-ear grin on your face. October’s Stuff takes a completely different turn, offering an impressive concept album in which Walker writes from the perspective of inanimate objects—from bowling balls to telephones to suits—infusing each with a distinct personality and bringing them vividly to life. (More Joshua Ray Walker coverage)
Americana Radio and Modern Sounds in Americana Music by J. Isaiah Evans and the Boss Tweed
J. Isaiah Evans & the Boss Tweed deliver a healthy dose of ferocious rock and roll—steeped in R&B and blues—on their full-length debut, Americana Radio. The group reimagines the power-trio format with Evans’ fiery guitar and vocals, Matthew Vasquez’s fierce keyboards, and Spud Crowley’s thunderous drums. From the aptly titled opener “Let’s Rock,” they never let their foot off the gas. If that wasn’t enough, the hardworking trio closed out the year with a covers EP paying tribute to Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, Mickey Newbury, and Tom Waits, injecting some sinewy grooves into their signature rock fury. (More J. Isaiah Evans and the Boss Tweed coverage)
Highlonesome by Matthew McNeal
Matthew McNeal’s Highlonesome showcases versatile indie rock that moves fluidly between sweet, soulful moments and intense, driving passages. Exploring themes of heartbreak, loss, and life’s uncertain path, the album creates tension that paradoxically soothes rather than overwhelms. Late in the year, McNeal released a deluxe edition featuring two additional tracks that stand strong alongside the original album’s best moments. (More Matthew McNeal coverage)
Life Behind Bars by Vandoliers
Vandoliers return with Life Behind Bar, slightly softening their punk edge while keeping their feisty spirit fully intact. The Texas outfit delivers its signature shout-along melodies across a wide-ranging palette that moves from country to Irish folk to Tex-Mex, all threaded together with their trademark cow-punk energy. (More Vandoliers coverage)
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.