OK so there’s country in the list too but it’s worth a delve, and several of the records we’ve reviewed glowingly. Rolling Stone reports: “At the halfway point of 2017, the country and Americana worlds have been full of surprises from every direction. Reliable songwriting heroes Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton returned with heralded efforts, while mainstream performers like Lauren Alaina and Lady Antebellum turned out songwriting-focused collections, and newcomers such as Luke Combs and Colter Wall pointed to the future. Here are the 25 best country and Americana releases of the year so far.”
