If you've ever been worried that good old Southern-fried boogie is an endangered species, then Dixie Lullabies should help you rest a little easier.

Even if the whole affair is something of a lark, Norah's songbird stylings and The Willies' uncluttered arrangements send it skyward.

This is no less than the story of a flawed man finding his own greatness--the primary factor behind the power and substance of these simple, no-frills performances, as well as the reason why any serious fan of Cash or country music history will want to walk the line it so compellingly traces.

David could be country music's most soulful singer since Ronnie Dunn.

Country die-hards are likely to favor something sturdier, but listeners who walk on the wilder side are sure to find a few kicks inside Little Red Boots.

Joe is at his best on the traditional romps like "This Ole Boy" and "No Truck, No Boat, No Girl."

While it lacks the emotional heft of Merle's acclaimed 2010 album, I Am What I Am, the cancer survivor's latest album boasts plenty of flinty independence.

With due respect to her previous fine efforts, Four the Record is easily Miranda's best album yet.

Vince's superb musicianship leaves the spotlight on these poignant songs.

It's all life, and Martina, with her unforced country-pop sensibility, gets it all to add up on Eleven.

Hitting a sweet spot between honky-tonk and the more sophisticated Nashville Sound of yore, Long Line of Heartaches delivers unapologetically traditional fare without resorting to self-conscious nostalgia.

Despite the album's title, she plays it safe rather than wild.

Ranging from jazzy jaunts to breezy tropical confections and varied country and blues hues, the sometimes-scattered Ready for Confetti is a multicolored parade in which even the shovel-pusher walking behind the horses can find that hope happens, too.

This winning formula should keep you around for quite a while.

This Texas-bred singer knows how to convey heartfelt and complex emotions with one clever turn of a phrase.

Even the least attractive and most un-country voices heard here (let's not name names) have a unique, soulful quality that makes them suited for the deeply felt sentiments that fill The Lost Notebooks, a package that finds the heart of real country music still beating and Hank's vital presence anything but lost.

Overall, a solid debut from a young, still-maturing artist.

For the most part, Lady Antebellum strikes a nice balance between the two, keeping the penchant for bighearted ballads and the vocal chemistry between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott intact.

Ghost on the Canvas is a lovingly produced nod to the musician and his music that summarizes the multiple dimensions of Campbell's remarkable genre-crossing career and, best of all, allows the honoree to help do the honors.

Country Hits Bluegrass Style is mostly a rehash of Ricky's 2008 album for Cracker Barrel.

The turquoise-hued bluegrass offered here is anything but generic--it's specialty-shop stuff.

The album's bluesy country sound may not make waves at radio, but these ladies are on track to give country concertgoers a little hell of their own.

True to form, his major-label debut is a personal, understated and unpredictable collection.

Guy wasn't kidding when he sang "it's got to come from the heart if you want it to work;" here, he and his talented crew prove it, playing and singing like nobody's watching.

Overall, this is one of Trace's best collections.

Overall, these songs are safe, inoffensive and respectable, but they simply don't quite scale the same musical heights of Dolly's former glories such as "Jolene" or "I Will Always Love You."

Chris Young's new 10-track project is tightly packed with solid songs, honoring both family and desires of the flesh.

Country music and old-time gospel music have borrowed from each other for decades, but rarely have the two styles blended as flawlessly as on a new offering from one of gospel music's most revered groups.

After the success of his "six-pack" album concept with Hillbilly Bone, Blake is back to delivering a full-length offering of music.

It's a formula sure to satisfy any fan--even Bruce.

Country music as pure as the kind heard on Rare Bird Alert is rare indeed, and worthy of consideration--even if it does come from a pretty odd duck.

Mostly introspective, lower-key fare fills out the album's remainder, resulting in an occasional lag in momentum. This, however, is offset by inventiveness and instrumental wizardry, offering those who accept Follow Me Down's tempting invitation entry into a wonderland of musical riches.

With this vocal showcase, Ronnie may finally garner a long-overdue best male country vocalist award.

Fans of Matraca's songwriting, who have waited for more than a decade for a new album, will likely agree with another of that song's lyric lines: one more is never enough.

Brad Paisley, having been raised on traditional country music, is one of a handful of contemporary stars who could title an album This Is Country Music (with all that the title implies) without raising more than a few eyebrows.

Both the chestnuts and The Band selections here sound best in their original versions (partly due to the diminished power of Levon's voice after his bout with throat cancer). But his singing brims with spirit, and he and his cohorts deliver these mostly vintage tunes with gusto.

The disc reveals a few hard edges but offers optimism even as it explores the thornier corners of human behavior.

The plucky "Bombshell," a nimble instrumental number, is just one example of the shimmering mandolin and fiddle solos that permeate the album.

She doesn't just alternately pay homage to country and jazz here; she elegantly blends the two.

Aside from bandmate Dan Tyminski's American-roots turns, there are fewer diversions this time from the restrained, often introspective fare Alison favors, including the regrettable omission of the stirring devotionals that have graced her past works.

Overall, Josh's sound boasts enough twang to keep it country and enough soulful passion to keep things interesting.

Frankly, traditional-minded listeners will wonder if the whole crew shouldn't be committed, as this quirky affair-depending on your perspective--is either brilliant or crazy.

Younger listeners will get the most out of this sometimes-inspired, retro-leaning smorgasbord; the more observant among them may even discern that Wanda's "bad girl" '50s persona, unlike today's blunt and blush-worthy equivalent, is nothing more than an act.

Sara's pop-country sound is rich Southern comfort, delivered organically and with authenticity.

Quietly and artfully, if not especially dynamically, McKenna unearths striking truths about the fragility of life and relationships.

There's nothing wild or organic about this overly calculated debut.

The album plays like a tribute to an earlier era, rich with period atmosphere, and Gregg, as always, delivers an authenticity few white singers could muster.

A true duo, Joshua Scott Jones' rugged rock voice blends and contrasts at the right moments with Meghan Linsey's fluid soul singing.

The sugared tunes would be easy to dismiss except for the credible guitar riffs, foot-tapping rhythms and fiery passion with which Keith sings. Thankfully, it's not all sunshine.

[Reba] singing, "I'll give my heart to a song, but I'll never sell my soul." That's exactly how Reba's approached her career thus far, and what she continues to do on this emotionally charged set of songs.

While Taylor turns her wrath on a woman who steals her man on "Better Than Revenge," she turns that critical eye on herself in "Back to December," a thorough apology to a former lover she regrets having left behind. Other tunes, such as "Mean" and "Sparks Fly," suffer from generic and sometimes underdeveloped lyrics.

This disc highlights a collection of substantial songs every bit as relevant as they were in Loretta's heyday.

As he moves beyond his rap boundaries into more country-rock fare, this album is a step forward for the Kid.

Darius' brand of country music, much like Radney's, is full of detailed, true-to-life accounts of love, regret and loyalty to childhood stomping grounds.

Producer T Bone Burnett had the foresight to infuse the album's recording with vintage microphones and techniques that would have been used on recording sessions half a century ago.