Our picks for the best country and roots albums of 2016:
William Bell, "This is Where I Live" (Stax): One of the greats from Stax's glory days delivers an exquisite set of new material wrapped in vintage soul.
Paul Burch, "Meridian Rising" (Plowboy): The Americana veteran brings Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, to vivid life on this audaciously inspired set.
Brandy Clark, "Big Day in a Small Town" (Warner Bros.): The bright young country star showcases her sharp songwriting skills on a second album that is even better than her debut.
Jesse Dayton, "The Revealer" (Blue Elan): The Texas country-rocker, who has never gotten the attention he deserves, again shows himself to be the true heir to Waylon Jennings on this chip-kicker of a set.
Miranda Lambert, "The Weight of These Wings" (Sony): The country superstar gambles on a two-disc set and it pays off with songs that unflinchingly face up to hurt and loss.
Parker Millsap, "The Very Last Day" (Okrahoma): On his second album, the young Oklahoma troubadour offers another striking collection of acoustic, bluesy songs suffused with religious imagery and delivered with rock-and-roll intensity.
Clint Morgan, "Scofflaw" (Lost Cause): The piano-playing lawyer looks back on some of the memorable outlaws of American history to create this sprawling, out-of-left-field Americana masterpiece.
Margo Price, "Midwest Farmer's Daughter" (Third Man): Like the coal miner's daughter, Loretta Lynn, Price pulls no punches on this feisty debut.
Sturgill Simpson, "A Sailor's Guide to Earth" (Atlantic): The iconoclastic singer-songwriter flirts with pretentiousness on his third album but winds up moving and engrossing.
Time Jumpers, "Kid Sister" (Rounder): The Nashville ensemble of musicians' musicians, featuring Vince Gill, alternates infectious takes on vintage country sounds with numbers that mourn the loss of a founding member, singer Dawn Sears.
Honorable mentions
The Mavericks, "All Night Live" (Mono Mundo); John Prine, "For Better, Or Worse" (Oh Boy); Todd Snider, "Eastside Bulldog" (Aimless); Garry Tallent, "Break Time" (D'Ville); Tommy Womack, "Namaste" (self-released).
