Out Of The Box Cd Of The Week With Paul Shugrue

On his 20th studio album, “Ghosts of West Virginia,” Steve Earle is reaching out. He says, “I wanted to speak to people that didn’t necessarily vote the way that I did, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything in common.”

“Reunions” is the follow up to two previous albums that both won Grammy awards, so expectations are high. That standard of excellence is upheld on the new release and then some.

As one of the few performers left from the grunge rock era, he's feeling survivor’s guilt on “Straight Songs of Sorrow.”

A duo of sisters, Rebecca and Megan Lovell, have released their fifth album in six years, “Self Made Man.” Like most siblings they have extraordinary vocal harmonies but what sets them apart is the harmony their guitars create on these bluesy rock originals, or as they call it “guitarmony.”

Her righteous fury has never been more ignited that on her new album “Good Souls, Better Angels.”

Ed O'Brien of Radiohead's “Earth” is not only a great debut, it’s one of the best albums of the year period.

“2020” is like a collection of political anthems to be sung along to at rallies, social assemblies or, as it turns out, in the shelter of our own homes.

Old school, that’s the perfect description, other than their own name for their seventh album “Your Baby Has Left.” Although the album is mostly original songs, they’re not trying to redefine the genre, just reveling in the inspirational coolness of the blues.

Katie Crutchfield’s band sets off on a new course for the album “St. Cloud.” The thirty three year old singer-songwriter has fully embraced a sober lifestyle and an Americana direction that has resulted in the best album of her career.

“Through a Dark Wood” has arrived just in time. As millions shelter in place to ride out the global pandemic, Alex Church, the band’s leader has crafted a set of cathartic songs that has the listener coming out of a dark place and into the light.

The band has a fifty year history of raising the roof wherever they play with raucous, jump, swing and rock steady blues and on their first studio album in nine years, “In a Roomful of Blues” they keep that tradition alive.

Their fourth album “No Time For Love Songs” captures a range of emotions. The title reflects the the idea that life is too serious now for simple love songs.

Self loathing, depression, emotional distress, mental health issues, darkness and death. These are the themes that make up Soccer Mommy’s second album “color theory”

The Hampton Roads native has just released his debut album, “Highs & Lows & Blues.” With help from some of his favorite area musicians he has created an album of world class, utterly original roots-rock music.

Puss N Boots is a trio of solo artists, Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper but their latest album “Sister” is more than just a collection of guest appearances. It’s an album by a self-contained band who have written and recorded all the songs as a trio that speaks as one.

Power chords, shimmering harmonies and bashing rhythms have defined their music since their beginning and “Never Not Together” brings it all home.

On their fourteenth release, “The Unraveling” they’ve gone well beyond the American south-centric themes of past albums. Now they are all-in on America as a whole and they are saying things that need to be said.

They've been a big part of the jam-band circuit for years and on their new album, “Kingdom in My Mind” they use that freewheeling mindset by jamming on the songs in the studio and then editing them to a manageable length afterward.

“The Juice,” with a number of guest artists including his producer Keb Mo, confidently celebrates life in 2020.

On the Hampton Roads' artist's debut album “10 Years” he shows he’s just as adept in the studio as he is on stage.