One of our favorite songs released this year is the spirit-filled “Hills and Valleys,” from Houston worship artist Tauren Wells. Richly produced, velvety smooth and featuring first-rate vocals from Wells, the song has the opportunity to make a dent on more than just the CCM charts. Wells is currently opening for both Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie this summer. With that kind of exposure, one has to think Wells’ best days are ahead of him. “Hills and Valley” is the lead single from an album due out later this year. If the album sounds anything like this single, it will be one to purchase before year’s end.
In the ever-widening cadre of American Idol contestants, few shone as bright as Utah’s David Archuleta. Nearly a decade removed from his runner-up appearance in the 2008 season, Archuleta is quietly staying under the radar, releasing quality albums that few are paying attention to. His latest release, Orion, might very well turn that tide. Read more…
British singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey has always been a favorite of this blog. His 2014 debut album First Mind went woefully ignored here in the States and two years removed from that album, he is back with his sophomore follow-up, due out later this year. Read more…
On paper this was supposed to be the album that fixed everything. The one to quiet the naysayers, silence the critics and reengage those who were so taken aback by their genre-hopping most recent album. On paper, Welcome Home, Zac Brown Band’s sixth studio release should be a home-run. Studio maestro Dave Cobb was at the helm, the band returned to a more roots-based sound more like their debut The Foundation. Read more…
Thanks to the fine folks at Big Machine, “Drinkin’ Problem,” the latest single from Texas trio Midland made its way through the SITH inbox. Hot damn are we glad it did. Have ya’all heard this song? Quite frankly, it doesn’t get any better than this. Many have already predicted a bright future for this band and with a song this intoxicating, its easy to see why. “Drinkin’ Problem” is old-school, breezy and ridiculously catchy. Read more…
One of our favorite records from 2016 here at Step Inside This House (SITH) was Poets and Saints from Nashville worship band All Sons and Daughters. Lead singer and co-songwriter Leslie Jordan recently took time out of a busy schedule to answer a few questions. Read more…
It’s always a great thing to receive an unexpected surprise at the most opportune of times. While battling a pretty severe head cold last week, the debut EP Here Comes Trouble by Nashville quartet The New Respects found its way to the Step Inside This House headquarters. Knowing absolutely nothing about the band, curiosity was instantly piqued. Heck, their publicist even threw in a free t-shirt. We’re digging this. Read more…
Now that spring is finally creeping its way into the frame, it’s time to find some tunes to welcome the vernal season. Enter Ha Ha Tonka’s effervescent and near flawless fifth album Heart-Shaped Mountain. Packed with ten instantly hummable efforts, Heart-Shaped Mountain is as strong an effort as any released this year. Read more…
There’s something utterly sublime and deeply potent about Travis Linville’s slow-burning new record Up Ahead. Though its extremely sedate in its pacing, its memorable numbers (of which there are many) linger long after the final seconds and announce Linville as a major play in the very crowded Americana scene. Having spent much of his career as a sideman (most notably for Hayes Carll), Linville’s fifth release is easily his best and so far one of this year’s best to date. Read more…
Twenty years removed from Son Volt’s landmark debut album Trace, St. Louis singer-songwriter Jay Farrar is still at it. Though the band has changed hands multiple times since the 1997 album, he’s still hard at work trying to recreate that very same magic. Some critics have panned Farrar for writing the same album time and time again, and while that isn’t exactly incorrect, any time Farrar releases new music it is something pretty special. Read more…
