Top albums of 2016 for country music fans

If there is a sign of the times, it appears in 2016 that country music with lyrical meaning took hold of the reigns of some of the top album releases.  There were fewer party songs and more songs that reflected on what is happening in modern times.  Here are our top picks of the best country music albums of 2016:

Sturgill Simpson - "A Sailor's Guide to Earth"

By the end of 2016, any music fan would soon hear about the beauty in the sound and production of Sturgill Simpson’s album.  The album itself was written and produced for Simpson’s toddler son.  One of the top picked songs is “Brace For Impact,” which makes a profound statement that one should live their life the fullest.  The sonic sounds from the sea filled the airwaves throughout the album.  Nevertheless, the Grammy’s took notice and nominated it for overall album of the year for their 2017 awards.  Read about his homecoming performance at the Lexington Opera House.

Blackberry Smoke - "Like An Arrow"

Blackberry Smoke seems to appear on my list every year, frankly because anything they release is that good.  It easily translates into their energetic live performance that many Kentuckians have come to enjoy over the years.  “Like An Arrow” has made an impact on the charts both in the US and overseas markets.  They define their own southern soulful rock sound with their latest release.  Top songs include “Waiting for the Thunder” and “The Good Life.”

The Steel Woods – Self Titled

Be sure to take note of the name, The Steel Woods.  They are also on our list of Ones to Watch in 2017.  The talented songwriting and singing from the duo has really taken notice.  Others are soon noticing the talent as they have been recently booked to open up for Blackberry Smoke.  They also performed at Kid Rock’s Fish Fry in Nashville this fall.  Top song picks on the album include “Let the Rain Come Down” and “Axe.” Read our full review & interview here.

Justin Wells - "Dawn in the Distance"

One of the most hardworking souls out on the road has to be Justin Wells.  With his first solo release, “Dawn in the Distance,” Justin received outstanding support from friends and music fans through his Kickstarter campaign.  “The Dogs” showcasing what really happens while struggling on the road.  Other top picks include “Going Down Grinnin’” and the haunting “So Far Away.”

Aubrie Sellers - "New City Blues"

Country music needs Aubrie Sellers and quite frankly, she provided quite a song selection with her debut album, “New City Blues.”  She stood out on her own among all of the new female artists in 2016.  It was hard to pick just a couple of top picks, as all of them are well produced.  However, two of our top picks on the album include “Light of Day” and the fiery “Liar, Liar.”

Margo Price - "Midwest Farmer's Daughter"

Jack White has a hankering for being able to pinpoint pure raw talent for his Third Man Records.  That is definitely the case with the beautiful vocals from Margo Price.  Perhaps one of the highlights of 2016 was when Margo Price performed on “Saturday Night Live,” as well as on Farm Aid.  Top songs include “Tennessee Song” and “Four Years of Chances.”

Wynonna & The Big Noise - Self Titled

Wynonna has gone through a lot of things in her life, but with her self-titled album with her band, The Big Noise, it seems as though she is at peace with her life.  Her soulful vocal prowess is in full force with each song.  Top picks on the album include “Things That I Lean On” with Jason Isbell and “Keeps Me Alive.”

The Steel Woods bring back the rural Appalachian sound to their music

In the first few months of 2016, it appears as though the talent out of Nashville was drying up. Then two young men came together to record their first single, "Let the Rain Come Down," that poured out a much needed sound to a music fan's ears. The Steel Woods are taking country music to the raw rural roots of Americana with their sound. With Jason Cope of North Carolina and Wes Bayliss of Alabama, they formed a unique vocal and instrumentation style that could be classified as being what music fans have wanted to hear.

Sitting down at the Pinewood Social Club, the duo was excited to speak about their music, live show, influences, and living the life. The Steel Woods have been making a name for themselves individually with other projects.

According to Wes, "we were both playing every now and then with a mutual friend. I played guitar for him for a while and he didn't have a bass player. I played bass and drums for him and anytime he needed a guitar player, he would call Jason. We took two weeks and went fishing to see if our personalities would work together."

Needless to say, their friendship and musicianship meshes quite well to form The Steel Woods.

Wes Bayliss was born and raised in rural Alabama. He first began performing at the young age of 8 with his family's gospel band. They would perform throughout Alabama, including Mobile and Gulf Shoals. Wes would perform at the age of 16, playing guitar and singing. Eventually, he would move to Nashville to get his feet deeper in the water of the music business.

Jason Cope is a native of North Carolina. Many fans may recognize him from playing alongside Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, and Wayne Mills. He has also produced several projects. His hardworking work ethic both on and off stage has gotten the attention of many in Nashville.

One of the interesting things with The Steel Woods, their first self-titled album was completely their own in regards to playing instruments, writing lyrics, and singing. Overall, the album forms the sense of rural America deep in the heart of southern Appalachia.

After the Steel Woods released their album, word would start getting out on the new duo. Their first radio airplay was with WFKY out of Frankfort, Kentucky, with the song "Let the Rain Come Down." The reactions from listeners have been positive and rewarding.

"So far, it has been nothing but positive feedback, which is awesome," according to Jason. "It's encouraging; it's really putting your heart out there. It feels good. It was nice having radio reach out to us."

The Steel Woods has been unique in promoting their music their own way. Recently prior to a concert in Nashville of Anderson East, they placed copies of their cd on car windshields. They also hand out copies to construction workers working downtown Nashville.

Jason noted that, "we want to make sure to hand it to the people that we know will like the music. We rented a booth at the gun show and handed out stickers and cds. It turned into people coming out to our show."

The album itself is strong on songwriting and musicianship. The first single, "Let the Rain Come Down," contains strong powerful background vocals to emphasize the emptiness left behind after the woman left him, as compared to a field of empty crops that are desperate need of rain. "Uncle Lloyd" reflects on times spent working and living life with a family member.

The song "Axe," along with its accompanying music video, makes you feel like you are deep in the woods of Appalachian Mountains. The raw rustic feeling makes the song perfect for anyone living the rural life.

With a blend of heartache and moving on, "Better in the Fall" it comes to the conclusion that whether it is harvesting season, or the end of a breakup, one can be better in the fall. On the opposite end, "If We Never Go," talks about moving away and starting a new life together with the one that you love.

One interesting song is "The Well," which takes on the perspective of two people meeting together reflecting on each other's life. They each would love to live the dream that the other is living - one being a married man with a family going to work at a nine to five job, the other living in the music life doing their own things on their own time. In the end, they choose the different life they are currently living, but they always find a piece of common ground.

"Hole in the Sky" seems to be something straight out of the rock scene of 1970s - think of something that Creedence Clearwater Revival would release. You find yourself immersed in a trance with the guitar playing as Wes is singing.

Be sure to check The Steel Woods online at www.thesteelwoods.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesteelwoods. Their music is available for download at I-tunes and Amazon.com.