Nicky T’s Picks
- son of dad (deluxe) – Stephen Wilson Jr.
- ROCK PAPER SCISSORS – Brett Sheroky
Matt’s Picks:
1. Own Worst Enemy – Gavin Adcock
The rowdiest man on the scene – this record featuring 24 songs for me showed the development and growth of Gavin as a Nashville artist and songwriter. It features live show anthems like On One and Last One to Know while also mixing in some deeper tracks like Outside Dog and Loose Strings. I am very excited for what this Georgia boy has coming next!
2. Better Part of Me – Brayden Stewart
There’s something special about this latest generation of Texas rock acts, and Brayden is definitely at the forefront. This album has the best lead track in Friends & Snakes of any record that came out in 2025. Brayden’s distinct and gritty vocals along with his unique guitar tones were captured perfectly. While he may be in the “underground” for now, Brayden will be a household name with fans turning back to this record in future years.
3. Sex Hysteria – Jessie Murph
Sam’s Picks:
1. ALMOST FAMOUS – Austin Meade
ALMOST FAMOUS cements Austin Meade as one of the most compelling voices in modern rock, showing just how fully he’s refined his own lane. The record has zero skips—packed with sharp songwriting, unforgettable melodies, and choruses that hit hard and stick with you long after listening. The band delivers Meade’s signature non-genre-specific rock with precision and attitude, while standout tracks like BAD DAYS, BUBBLE GUM AND CIGARETTES, and BOTTLE YOU UP showcase some of his strongest work yet. The Mitchell Ferguson feature on CIVIL WAR is a very welcomed inclusion, and the closing track LIKE FATHER LIKE SON brings a reflective, intimate finish. Overall, ALMOST FAMOUS feels like Meade’s best release to date—confident, purposeful, and a major step forward in his evolution.
2. Decades – Jeremy Pinnell
Decades shows Jeremy Pinnell pushing himself in all the right ways, blending Shooter Jennings’ impactful production with the grit and honesty that define Pinnell’s songwriting. The record balances high-tempo moments with slower, reflective ones, creating a dynamic flow that feels both fresh and true to his roots. Pinnell experiments more than ever here—sonically and structurally—giving the album a sense of growth without losing its lived-in storytelling core. Tracks like Dallas, Too Much Sugar, and Standing Still highlight the strength of his evolution and the chemistry between him and Jennings. In a crowded country landscape, Decades stands out as one of Pinnell’s most complete and forward-looking statements yet.
3. The King Is Back – Luke Bell
The King Is Back isn’t a record you analyze so much as appreciate — twenty-eight new Luke Bell songs is a gift country fans never expected to receive. From the first few seconds, his unmistakable feel returns: the easy swing, the lived-in phrasing, the melodies that feel familiar even when they’re brand new. The songwriting is pure Luke — simple on the surface but filled with warmth, quiet hurt, and stories that feel carried around for years. Nothing here is over-polished; it’s just him being him. The album doesn’t try to redefine his legacy, it simply reminds us why he mattered — and still does — as the scene continues to feel a little quieter without him.
Honorable Mentions:
- West Texas Degenerate – Treaty Oak Revival
West Texas Degenerate is essentially what defines Treaty Oak Revival – not only their sound but who and where they represent. The rocket ship these guys are on has been crazy to watch and the culture and scene has been impacted in a rockin’, energetic way by Treaty Oak. West Texas Degenerate is going to be looked back on as one of Red Dirt and Texas music’s peak albums of this time period.
- Tornado Alley – Trenton Fletcher
Tornado Alley shows just how far Trenton Fletcher has come, highlighting major growth in both his songwriting and the way he structures his songs. The record feels cohesive and authentic, driven by his signature grit and emotional weight. Tracks like Lay It On Me and It Ain’t Me, It’s You capture his ability to blend sharp storytelling with undeniable energy, powered by a band that plays with chemistry and conviction. The production stays clean without losing edge, giving the album a raw, organic feel that elevates every moment. Altogether, Tornado Alley proves Fletcher isn’t just rising—he’s already operating at a level that demands real attention.
Luke’s Picks:
1. Ain’t Rocked in a While –Brent Cobb and The Fixin’s
In July, Brent Cobb debuted his collaboration project with The Fixin’s, Ain’t Rocked in a While. Already a favorite among fans, the 10-track LP is true to its name as arguably Cobb’s hardest-rocking catalog to date. During a sold-out show at Third Man Records, the Grammy-nominated singer revealed that while making the record, it was his young son who inspired him to lean into his rougher edges, sonically speaking.
These are on full display in the album’s title track, which is driven by a fuzzed-out guitar and bass riff. The song matches Cobb’s warbly croon with a head-banging punk energy (Cobb nearly goes full screamo in the outro), for an indelible country-rock tone that, to a long-time fan like me, punches harder than anything he’s released.
That same energy fuels the entire album, even on relatively softer ballads like the piano-led Beyond Measure and spaced-out In Our Hands. But at no point does it seem like Cobb is stretching his limits – his immersive lyrics sustain across hard rock riffs and acoustic finger picks alike in a way that never departs from the universe he’s been building since his first album. With this new music, even though it’s a bit different, Cobb still sounds right at home. As one of the best and possibly most underrated singer-songwriters in the game, he’s simply exploring something new, resulting in one of the most unique albums of the year.
2. The Price of Admission – Turnpike Troubadours
Turnpike Troubadours surprised fans with their sixth album, The Price of Admission, in April. Following up their 2023 LP, A Cat in The Rain, which was produced by Shooter Jennings, the band reunited with Jennings to record this one over the course of 30 days at frontman Evan Felker’s ranch in Oklahoma.
Released with basically no traditional promotion, Price of Admission has everything you want in a Turnpike album – dancehall atmospheres, a sound that feels live, melodies that get stuck in your head, and Felker’s soul-baring lyrics: sometimes heady; sometimes jaded; sometimes heartbroken, but always convincingly written from a true, first-hand perspective. Whenever I listen to a Turnpike song, I’m never lost on exactly how the character is feeling.
On that note, very few Turnpike singles have prompted such an emotional reaction as Heaven Passing Through, the album’s fifth track and a major favorite among fans. Released to country radio in August, the song is a cosmic reflection on time slipping through your fingers and sung from the perspective of a son, a parent, and someone in between. Something about it rawly captures a thematic through line in Turnpike’s music, the uncontrollability of life and a desire to make the most of it.
It reflects the whole album, which Felker told Rolling Stone was guided by feeling. In his words, “If I had an idea that gave me a feeling, I would pursue it.”
Guy on a Rock – John Baumann
One of the best Texas country songwriters performing today, John Baumann dropped his fifth album, Guy on a Rock, in October. The 11-song record continues Baumann’s subtle exploration of his sound, which debuted in 2012 as pure red dirt country with his introductory EP, West Texas Vernacular. Since then, he has proven to not only be a true songwriter’s songwriter, but a genuine artist who’s growing, discovering, and evolving his sound with each new release.
Guy on a Rock is fueled, like all of Baumann’s music, by true-to-form Texas imagery and lyrics. But it’s also bolstered by incredibly rich and reflective storytelling, as well as production that often brings it into alternative rock territory. Take, for example, Trauma King, which delves into the inner narrative of someone with a newfound gratitude for life and the world around him. Along with acoustic guitar and Baumann’s distinctive West Texas accent, it features a spacey synth lead and piano riff, making for a genre that feels almost entirely new – like an indie rock or shoegaze brand of West Texas Country.
I won’t try and label it, but Baumann has one of the freshest sounds in the country music genre. He’s truly on a stage of his own, and we couldn’t be more excited to feature him on this list.
Ben’s Picks:
1. Westward – Dylan Gossett
Texas native Dylan Gossett knocked it out of the ballpark for his first studio album. He stuck to his usual route of acoustic guitar and simple sound, but Gossett added some new flavor. The touch of an electric guitar in Back 40 makes me very excited for upcoming releases. Gossett on his social media is always turning around teasers of new releases so I hope that a new album is brewing or at least an EP. Although, some songs within the album stayed true to the sound that I like from Gossett like Sweet Lady and Tree Birds. The upbeat country sound is something I love to turn up loud.
2. Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top
Zach Top continues to soar up the charts for a reason. In his third overall album, Top maintained that authentic country sound when it comes to themes as well as sound with the steel, Telecaster and acoustic guitar. Some of my personal favorites from the new record are Guitar and South of Sanity. Top, who is still new-ish to the more modern country scene, is slowly finding his way into the hearts of fans that love the modern sounds of country music. Top and his Coors Banquets are easy to love and definitely fun to listen to. If you are intimidated by listening to older sounding southern jams, I would highly recommend listening to Top and his newest album.
3. I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen
You have to give Morgan his flowers. The 37-song track is full of songs that have themes of relationship struggles, something we got a glimpse of in Wallen’s previous albums. I feel as if the title track, I’m The Problem is the perfect way to title it. In select songs like I Got Better, I’m The Problem, TN, and others, definitely have that theme. For someone who might be going through problems with their relationship, this album is perfect to blast. Although I prefer the more upbeat songs from Wallen, this album was a breath of fresh air, and it leads to where Wallen is going to go next.
Honorable Mentions:
- West Texas Degenerate – Treaty Oak Revival
Treaty Oak Revival released their album too late for me. Obviously, the album was jam-packed with great songs and an electric sound, but I had more time to listen to the other albums that were released.
- Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum
I am a big fan of Parker McCollum, but there were only three spots on this list. Picking between Wallen and McCollum was very tough, but it was a decision that had to be made. Wallen’s songs were perfect for summer drives, and I feel as if McCollum’s album was made for more casual listening. Just for that reason, Wallen got the slight edge.