1) Gun Outfit, “Process and Reality” / A sprawling double album and yet one of the finest, most focused efforts of the year, the latest from this L.A. band is a narrative and atmospheric trip deep into the interior West.
2) PawPaw Rod, “Picture Day” / One of the best doing it right now, the soul standout offers instant classics and welcome deep cuts as he stretches his sound further and further.
3) Touch Girl Apple Blossom, “Graceful” / This Austin band knows what great pop songs are supposed to sound like and unspool that material on their latest.
4) Gabino Iglesias, “House of Bone and Rain” / The novelist perfectly navigates each of his own self-constructed twists and turns in a work that marries coming-of-age, revenge and creature feature stories. Nearly flawless.
5) Seth Wieck, “Call Out Coyote” / My friend Seth Wieck’s debut poetry collection uncovers the heavens, hells, holy fathers and surprising sons to be found in his native West Texas. Seth is a masterful poet of place, constantly aware that every place unlocks something deep within the souls of its inhabitants.