It was only a year ago that successful ad-sales director Sam Morgan took his mother’s maiden name and reinvented himself as the SoCal country crooner Sam Outlaw. Angeleno, Outlaw’s second full-length album produced by Ry Cooder and his son Joachim (drums), features guest appearances from members of My Morning Jacket, Dawes, the Punch Brothers, as well as Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán. With a focus on love songs, this breakout LP explores the mysteries, joy and heartbreak within a country sound and state of mind. Highlights include: the mariachi inflected opener “Who Do You Think You Are?”; the honky tonk “Jesus Take the Wheel (And Drive Me To a Bar)”; the road-tripping “Keep It Interesting”; the reflective “Country Love Song”; and the dusty ballad “Love Her for a While.” Outlaw is a standout artist among the latest crop of country traditionalists, and Angeleno is one of my favorite albums of the year. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Andrew Combs, Dawes, Justin Townes Earle, Robert Ellis, Jason Isbell