After the Top 10 LP albums, and before its Top songs and its artist of the year, Country Music France publishes today its 2019 Top 10 EP’s. Check them out below, and listen to them if you haven’t done it yet. Compared to albums, the EP’s are generally (unfairly) depreciated, but with such brilliant artists, I strongly recommend you to listen these records again and again.
#10 – Clayton Smalley – Whiskey Sunrise
The Utah-based singer Clayton Smalley released his excellent debut EP this year, named “Whiskey Sunrise“. It includes traditional country songs like the excellent “Ride or Die“, the ballad “Building Bridges” and the beautiful title-song, “Whiskey Sunrise“.
#9 – Jon Wolfe – Feels like country music
“Feels like country music“, by Oklahoma-native artist Jon Wolfe, was another excellent EP of 2019. Released in june, it includes awesome songs like “Some Ol’ Bar in the 90’s“, the title-song “Feels like country music“, “Heart to steal tonight” or “A good woman”. An excellent EP!
#8 – Triston Marez – That was all me
All has been said about Triston Marez’s brilliant debut EP, nicluding in this blog, as “That was all me”‘s review was one of my first posts this 2019. “Where Rivers are red and cowboys are blue” and “Reservation for two” are beautifull traditional country songs, and “Here’s to the week-end” the perfect song for a friday cold beer. This release was a “tour de force” for the 22 years old Texan artist from Houston.
#7 – JP Harris – Why don’t we due in the road… again
Two years and a half after “Why don’t we duet on the road“, JP Harris released a second EP based on duets. He sings four old country songs with four female artists, Malin Pettersen (from Norway), Erin Rae, Miss Tess and Elizabeth Cook. If you love duets and classic country songs, this briliant EP is just for you !
#6 – Ragland – Murphy’s law
Ragland is a young Red Dirt duo (husband and wife) from Tablequah, Oklahoma. “Murphy’s law” is their third studio album and their second EP, after “Wimberley“, released in 2017. I strongly recommend you to listen to their awesome music. All songs, cowritten by Autumn Ragland and her husband Sam Cox, are beautifully sung by Autumn Ragland. “Love, liquor & a place to die“, “Cowboy boots” or “Footsteps” are amazing red dirt songs. Listen to their excellent EP, before the release of their upcoming album on february 2020.
#5 – Julia Hatfield – Halfway Here
I discovered Julia Hatfield with the beautiful country song “Who I wanted you to be“, released in 2016. Her new EP, released this december, belongs to Americana style. But there’s no change for who loves Julia Hatfield’s unique style and voice. Her brilliant songwriting and her talent for singing and playing music are the promise for a bright future. I particularly appreciate “Crazy” and “Loved you this much“. But please, don’t miss her beautiful cover of Tom Petty’s “I won’t back down“! The video of this song was released two days ago and I strongly recommend you to watch it: it’s beautiful!
#4 – Kylie Rae Harris – Kylie Rae Harris
Talking about this EP is something very special, after the tragic loss of Kylie Rae Harris. She was a beautiful artist and her songs still haunt my mind, almost 4 months after this tragic day. “Twenty years from now“, “Run away” or “Missouri” are excellent songs, beautifully written and sung. Undoubtedly, Kylie Rae Harris was promised to a bright future.
RIP Kylie Rae Harris. Thoughts and prayers for her daughter, her family and for the other victim of the accident, Maria Elena Cruz.
#3 – Triston Marez – Until I Found You
When this year begun, one of the first posts I wrote on this blog was a review of Triston Marez’s debut EP, “That was all me“. I didn’t imagine that the Texan artist would release a second EP the same year, 8 months later. “Until I found you” confirms the talent of this traditional country artist. This EP includes pure gems that juggle with all “sub-categories” of country music genre, with the magic title-song, one of the most beautiful songs released this year, the Honky Tonk song “Wish I could dance“, the rocky “Night to remember“, the amazing ballad “Fort Worth” or the awesome “Far from good“, cowritten with Wynn Williams, Steve Helms, Randall King and Jesse Raub Jr. Brilliant and pure Texas country music!
#2 – Kathryn Legendre – Making It Up
I fell in love with “Making it up” at the first listen. Kathryn Legendre is an excellent Texan artist from Austin, who loves outlaw country and Honky Tonk. The five songs included in this EP are all excellent and made a great part of my year. “Sit Here and Cry” is one of the most beautiful country songs that I listened to this 2019. “Going Crazy” is a brilliant Honky Tonk song, “Letters from Prison” a funny and very catchy song and ‘There you go” a pure gem, with pedal steel, fiddle and bass enhauncing Kathryn Legendre’s voice. A brilliant EP with excellent songwriting and instrumentation!
#1 – Charlie Marie – Charlie Marie
As I said when I reviewed this beautiful EP on this blog, Charlie Marie is the embodiment of country music genre. This artist from Providence, Rhode Island, a territory quite far from the historical land of the genre, has released an EP that is the quintessence of country music. “Rodeo” is a real gem and the way Charlie Marie sings is unique. Listening to it is something very special for all those who love traditional country music. I also particularly love “Countryside“, a beautifully written song (“Skyscrapers may kiss the sky but everywhere’s got a countryside“…) and “Rhinestones“. Charlie Marie also released recently a beautiful Christmas song, “Old Fashioned Christmas“. With such a talent, her voice will go on haunting the mind of country music lovers for a long time.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 