Year In Review: The Top 12 Country Albums of 2012

2012 was a great year for country music.  Many artists released new albums this year, though many of the bigger names in the genre were still riding the highs of 2011 albums.  Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Justin Moore and Luke Bryan are just some of the artists who did NOT release new albums this year.

The good side of this is that it left country music wide open for new, up and coming artists to take the spotlight.  We reviewed some of these artists album this year, though not nearly as many as we would have liked.  Some of them are featured in this countdown, while others just did not make the cut.

So without further adieu, the Top 12 Country Albums of 2012:

12.  Rachel Farley - The Truth EP - Released in the early part of the year, this young singer did not nearly get the chance to shine as her EP deserved.  She did, however, set herself up for success in 2013, opening for Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.  At only 17, this artist is well on her way to a big national debut.

11.  Chris Lane Band - Let's Ride - Chris Lane is a small time artist from North Carolina, but the artist already fits in well alongside artists such as Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.  "Let's Ride" features a great combination of rocking country and smooth love ballads.

10.  Colt Ford - Declaration of Independence - I have not been shy about my love of the unique sound of Colt Ford in the past.  His August release, Declaration of Independence, returned Ford to a sound that made his debut album popular, letting country stars sing while Colt sticks to the rapping.  Guest singers include Jason Aldean, Kix Brooks (Of Brook & Dunn) and Corey Smith.  The lead single, "Back", featuring Jake Owen, helped Ford score his first #1 Country Album.

9.  Toby Keith - Hope On The Rocks - Continuing with the pattern set by 2011's "Clancy's Tavern", Toby Keith kept strong his return to more traditional sounding country music.  Gone are the partying days of old, Keith's album features songs that are more reflective in nature.  The title track "Hope On The Rocks" is one of the strongest songs TK has released in recent memory.

8.  Love & Theft - Self Titled Album - The lead single "Angel Eyes" took country music by storm earlier this year, securing the duo's place in country music.  While not a new artist, L&T is likely new to most country listeners.  Look for their star to rise even more in 2013.

7.  Brian Davis Band - Under the Influence - Another locally known artist deserving of a much bigger stage.  BDB's "Under the Influence" rocking country sound will be familiarly comfortable among those who listen to the more modern outlaw side of the genre.  Fittingly, Brian Davis Band opened for Brantley Gilbert on his first headlining tour in the second half of the year.

6.  Lee Brice - Hard 2 Love - It was a big year for Brice.  His sophomore album was met with critical acclaim.  The first two singles "A Woman Like You" and "Hard To Love" enjoyed long play on the radio.  His third single, "I Drive Your Truck", changes from the love based pace that he is known for, but is still quickly rising up the charts.

5.  Thomas Rhett - Self Titled EP - One of my favorite albums of the year, this EP is only so low on the chart because of the shortened length.  The son of Rhett Akins, Thomas is enjoying success behind "Something To Do With My Hands", "Beer With Jesus" and opening for Toby Keith this previous Summer.

4.  Florida Georgia Line - Here's To The Good Times - FGL's debut album benefited from having an EP released earlier this year, one of our highest rated releases of the year.  The lead single, the summer tune, "Cruise", spent multiple weeks on top of the chart, and is still enjoying radio success in the cold months.  Look for this duo on the Luke Bryan's "Dirt Road Diaries" tour in 2013.

3.  Chase Rice - Dirt Road Communion - A cowriter on the aforementioned "Cruise", Rice did not get much, if any, radio play on his own.  Nonetheless, "Dirt Road Communion" remains one of the top albums of the year, and is still a regular in my playlist, despite being released in March.

2.  Jason Aldean - Night Train - After having giant years in 2010 and 2011, Aldean continued his success in 2012.  His fifth album, "Night Train" features a diverse variety of songs, from the lead single "Take A Little Ride", to the risky "1994" (penned by Thomas Rhett) to the risque "Black Tears" (written by Florida Georgia Line).  It is hard to find any song on Night Train that one can classify as a bad song.

1.  Kip Moore - Up All Night - Newcomer Kip Moore took radio by storm with the catchy "Somethin' Bout A Truck".  His soft, yet gruff, voice combined with a more traditional country sound makes his debut album the most played album on my playlist.  Much like Aldean's "Night Train" it is hard to find fault with any of the songs on the album.  "Beer Money", the second single from the album, is enjoying commercial success that is sure to make Moore a common sound on the radio in 2013.

Honorable Mentions:  Aaron Lewis, former lead singer of Staind, released his debut full-length country album, "The Road" late this year.  Also of note, after a long break and some time as solo artists, Big and Rich returned together to release "Hillbilly Jedi".

So there it is.  The top 12 albums in country music in 2012.  We are looking forward to sharing our thoughts on 2013 albums, including new ones from Tim McGraw, Gary Allan, Darius Rucker, Randy Houser, Brad Paisley, Band Perry and George Strait.

Until then, Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you off the dirt road.

Album Review: Chase Rice - Dirt Road Communion

If the name Chase Rice sounds familiar in your household, chances are it is not for Country music, but it should be.  If the name sounds familiar, it is likely because the young North Carolina native placed second on "Survivor: Nicaragua", the shows twenty-first season.  Rice has just released his first full-length album, a follow up to his EP, "Country As Me".

Dirt Road Communion - The title track, "Communion" follows a familiar country path, reminiscing about growing up on the dirt roads back home.  With a sound that falls somewhere between Jason Aldean and Brantley Gilbert,  with a little Lee Brice thrown in for good measure.  The formula works, providing a rocking song that is likely to get attention for the newcomer.

How She Rolls - Keeping the pace up, Rice gives a rocking tribute to his woman.  Sounding a lot like Matt Kennon ("The Call"), Chase describes everything about this country girl: "My baby's a hands in the air/ Don't have a care/ When her songs on the radio/ A little crazy with a blue-jean tear/ Gets a Ray-Ban stare/ Just about everywhere we go/ She likes to get down/ Sippin on Coke and Crown/ Jesus and Gypsie Soul/ Yeah that's how she rocks/ That's how she rolls"

The Little Things - Another tribute to his woman, Rice slows this one down with a short love song about what is truly important to her.  "No she doesn't need/ A four-carat diamond ring/ Or a big house to come home to/ No she doesn't need/ A Hollywood movie scene/ Or a sunset every day in Malibu/ No all she needs/ Are the little things".  Rice mentions what those little things are, roses just because it is Tuesday, watching "The Bachelor" every Monday, and letting her drive his truck (even after previous mishaps). You can almost see the singer with a grin on his face as he sings.

Pbj's and Pbr's - Rice returns to what he does best, rocking.  "Pbj's & Pbr's" is him reminiscing about his college days, being broke, barely making it to class (if they went at all).  Chase even includes a shout out to another country singer: "That Sigma Ki gig every other Thursday/ Wouldn't make a penny, but we tried to play/ We cut a song for all of them college honeys/ Give ole Luke Bryan a run for his money".  The title refers to the diet of a college student-musician.

Whoa - A change of pace for the Carolina singer, the heavy bass beat in the beginning leads to the inevitable rap verse near the end of the song.  "Whoa" is simply the reaction Rice has to seeing a beautiful girl.  Thankfully, the rap does not feel out of place and he pulls it off without sounding forced.  "Whoa" is a song that will probably not get a lot of playtime, but is definitely catchy.

Room 205 - Every once in a while a song comes around that is so deep, and tells such a story, that you have to listen to it a few times to gather what is going on.  This is that song for Chase Rice.  The song is told from the perspective of a motel room that has seen a lot of things.  I really do not want to go into detail, it is better to just let you listen and take it in for yourselves.

Pop A Top Off (Good Time On) - Returning back to the idea of partying and drinking, Rice sings from the perspective of the singer on stage of a concert.  Quite obviously fitted to be the opening song for his concerts, the guitar in the last third really stands out.

Shades Of Green - A song about the struggling economy and being thankful for what you have and where you are from, "Shades of Green" is familiar without being repetitive.  The song is about exactly what the title says, the different greens in life that are more important than money.  "It's the color of the tractor in my barn/ A fifty acre pasture old horse farm/ And rows of pines as far as I can see/ It ain't the money in the bank that we ain't got".

You Ain't Livin ' Yet - This song follows in the tradition of "Shades of Green" in theme.  "You Ain't Livin' Yet" is about the large difference between "livin'" to a city boy and "livin'" to a country boy.  Once again, Rice does a good job of avoiding the same song that every other country makes, while sticking to the same ideas as Josh Thompson's "Ain't Seen Country Yet" and Jason Aldean's "Country Boy's World"

Country Boy's Kryptonite - The title should give away what the song is about.  Every country boy is a sucker for a hot country girl.  We just cannot get enough.  He does not stick just to the women though, the second verse dives into muddin' and NASCAR.  "I can't resist it, I'm addicted/ Even Superman would lose this fight/ Yeah, and all of this, is my weakness/ It's all a country boy's kryptonite"

Every Song I Sing - Every song has a story behind it, and more often than not, it involves a woman.  The first song on "Dirt Road Communion" that actually involves a breakup, it is also probably the one filled with the most emotion on the album.  This is probably one of my favorites simply because it feels the most vulnerable.

Only A Country Girl - After my favorite track, "Country Girl" is probably my least favorite on the album.  It is not that it is a bad song, but it just feels a bit cookie cutter.  Jeff Bates immediately comes to mind when I hear this song about how special a country girl is.

I Like Drinking, Cause It's Fun - This one might be my new anthem.  Sometimes you do not need a reason to be drinking.  Sometimes you do not have a heartbreak, or a hard day at work.  You just want to drink "Cause it's fun!".  Does not matter if it is beer, tequila or wine, drinking is just fun.

Shakin' The Wheels - This fast tune contrasts nicely with the idea of a truck not actually going anywhere, but the couple in the song sure are moving fast.  The instrumentals nearly overpower the lyrics, but it works with the content of the song.

Jack Daniel's & Jesus - Another raw, vulnerable track.  Chase pours his heart out about being lost in life, much in the vein of Brantley Gilbert's "Modern Day Prodigal Son".  This purity places this just above "Every Song I Sing" because I have lived there.  In fact, you would be hard pressed to find someone who has not.  If there were only one track to listen to on this entire album, this one would be it.  It is hard not to be moved by Rice's honesty.

Happy Hour(Worktape) - Wrapping up the album with a track that was unedited, Chase sits down with just his acoustic guitar, lamenting on being stuck in the same routine, just without the girl he used to enjoy it with.  He swears he is never coming back, the memories are just too rough, but he has said that before.  "I guess Happy Hour/ Ain't so happy without her" Rice sings in the chorus.  After a short silent period (and maybe a few drinks) his mood picks up.  The girl walks in and asks if she can join him.  He plays along for about a second, then tells her to kiss his ass.  He definitely ends it with a upbeat take on the heartbreak, wrapping the album up nicely.

"Dirt Road Communion" is Rice's first attempt at a full-length album, and he does not disappoint.  He recorded this album without a label and without radio support, but you would never guess it listening to it.  Chase is not a household name, but if he keeps putting music out like this, he will be in no time.  8.5/10


This album is available through Amazon MP3 and iTunes.  You can follow Chase Rice on Twitter