It is time once again for Iamweez.com to present my top 112 albums of the year. Why 112? Because that is how many I got to. Simple enough?

If you have not followed along in the past, let me explain. I rate songs individually in a spreadsheet. A value of 1-10 is assigned to each song. Then, each album is sorted by average song rating. In years past, I had more time. Back then, I worked one job and didn’t gamble heavily. I would go through that sorted list. I moved albums around if I felt like I needed to. Finally, I put out an official album ranking. These days, I show the list as is, sorted by average song rating. So, let’s get to it.

1. The Lowdown Drifters–In Time

Rating: 6.88

The Lowdown Drifters are out of Ft. Worth. This was not their first album. I believe it is the first to make my year-end list. It hit number one with a bullet.

Big John Cannon is a front man with a voice you swear you know, even if you don’t. The best I can describe their sound is if Arlo McKinley did an album with Reckless Kelly. Wes Sharon produced this, after prior work with Turnpike Troubadours, American Aquarium and John Fulbright. Turns out I just might be a Wes Sharon fan and did not know it.

Ghost is the most Arlo-esque. Awful Truth is a gut punch in all the correct ways. I’ve debated throwing it in my fairly exclusive Fetal Position playlist. Nothing Sacred opens with a Kerouac reference, which always gets my attention.

If you are not familiar with my ratings, they range from 1 to 10. Due to the nature of what I do, they tend to resemble a bell curve. Lots of 4-6. So 6.88 actually sits at 18 in my current all-time list. That list is admittedly still a work in progress. But In Time sits between albums like John Prine, The Nashville Sound, Born To Run and Country Squire. So yes, high praise.

2. Johnny Blue Skies–Passage de Desir

Rating: 6.75

New name, same unbelievable talent. Sturgill Simpson returns as Johnny Blue Skies. This album has a little bit of everything. Country, rock, soul, beach rock, whatever. Sturgill does not play by anyone rules. It is one of the things I respect the most about him.

For reference:
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth 7.22
Metamodern Sounds in Country Music 6.8
High Top Mountain 6.75
Passage du Desire 6.75

All of those are top 30 albums. Yeah, I’m a fan.

Did not see this one coming, which means I should have.

3. Shane Smith & The Saints–Norther

Rating: 6.69.

The second Texas band in the top three. Go figure. Yeah, I have a wheelhouse. This year’s top 20 definitely demonstrates that.

I’ve been a fan of Shane Smith and the Saints for a while, but this is the highest rated album from this yet for me. This sat at number one for a long time until the Drifters album came along late in the year and a few Sturgill reslistens. All three could have been Album of the Year.

It does not hurt that I finally got to see these guys live this year and they were one of my favorite live acts yet. Shane Smith is operatic red dirt.

4. Caleb Montgomery–Food Stamps Don’t Buy Flowers

Rating: 6.6

This is the first debut album to make the list. Caleb Montgomery is a little bit more neo-traditional country, by way of northeast California. There is some rawness here, but I believe the album benefits from the rawness. It would have been easy to over polish some of these songs. The title track was the breakout hit here. It reminds of the album version of Tyler Childers’ All Your’n. That is to say it has that baptist bounce.

5. J.R. Carroll–Dark Cloud

Rating 6.6

This is technically J.R. Carroll’s debut album, but he has made my top five before. I love his stuff. A few years back, I cheated by putting together a collection of EPs and singles. I rated it as an album to get the word out. That was before Zach Bryan started touring nationally. People quickly figured out how good JR was shortly after. His voice is like a mix of Fergie and Jesus.

Plus, I’m pretty sure the album cover is a nod to Nebraska, one of the all time great albums.

6. Max McNown–Wandering

Rating: 6.58

Every year an album will find its way into my top 10 that I have to think about. This is more polished than most stuff on here. It flirts with “radio country”. Think Josh Abbott Band or Muscadine Bloodline. It doesn’t ooze hurt or wrecked soul. You know, my wheelhouse stuff. And yet I still find myself really enjoying it. I know this is a music blog post, but sometimes I’m also not the type to investigate too far beyond “yeah, I like it.” If you want deep investigations, go read Pitchfork or Saving Country Music or something.

A Lot More Free was the breakout hit, while Turned Into Missing You most perfectly embodies what I meant above about flirting with country radio sound.

7. Josh Meloy–Where You Came From

Rating: 6.55

An Oklahoma songwriter with an instantly recognizable voice. It is hard to find a review of him that does not mention gravel. But that gravelly voice is packaged with consistently catchy melodies. Guys like m

This is Meloy’s third album, and the first since the breakout single Porch Light. It is a worthy evolution. The album has no misses. Ten of the eleven songs score six or higher.

8. Red Clay Strays–Made By These Moments

Rating: 6.55

The Red Clay Strays blew up with their last album, Moment of Truth. I actually prefer this one. MoT scored a 5.75, which ranked No. 30 that year.

Wanna Be Loved was the smash hit on this one, but it was not alone. Six of the 11 tracks made my Best of 2024 playlist (songs rated 7 or higher).

9. Jonathan Peyton–Nothing Here’s The Same

Rating: 6.42

Jonathan Peyton is really Jonathan and wife Abigail Peyton. They are one of my favorite music couple going now. My first exposure to these guys was the Red Rocks parking lot video from Dewayne Bryan a few years back. I’ve followed along since, waiting for this album release. It is their first full album since 2016 and first since that giant exposure.

Harmonies on harmonies. When these two cut loose vocally, it empowers your soul. Add some beautiful life lyrics and you are golden, Ponyboy.

10. Wyatt Flores–Half Life

Rating: 6.38

Wyatt Flores is in his early 20s. 22 when this album was released. But it packs a deathly wallop in just eight songs. More on that later.

Flores went from singer-songwriter and all that encompassing early in a career to selling out stadiums in the blink of an eye. Probably as much so as any one since Zach Bryan. It’s amazing what a social media hit or two can do, but Flores goes well beyond just a catchy tik tok line or two.

The opening track was written after losing some people close to him:

Milwaukee was the biggest hit on the album.

11. Gary Clark Jr.–JPEG RAW

Rating: 6.36

This is the first album that does not lean more to the country side of country rock. Just straight up guitar slinging blues rock. And GCJ is as good as anyone doing it right now.

12. Silverada–Silverada

Rating: 6.3

Never heard of Silverada before this year, right? Well, maybe you have. Silverada was formerly known as Mike and the Moonpies. The explanation for the name change did not make much sense, but the album is as good if not better than anything they have put out yet.

13. American Aquarium–The Fear of Standing Still

Rating: 6.3

Listen. If American Aquarium puts out an album, you are going to see them near the top of any list I make. That is how this works. BJ and the boys are still my favorite thing going, and an incredible live act that easily leads my concerts attended list. It’s not even really close anymore.

The song writing continues to grow in depth. There has been serious maturity in a band that still melts faces live. Not an easy combo to pull off, and yet here were are witnessing it.

14. Cody Jinks–Change The Game

Rating: 6.25.

This album from Jinks is throwback country. It did not seem to get a lot of love from Jinks fans, but I still appreciated. Five tracks scored seven or higher. Personal favorite for me was the album closer, a somber What You Love. A worthy message in song form. Other stuff on here dive into his sobriety, or reflect on a now lengthy career. Some kick up the rock a bit.

15. Wyatt Flores–Welcome To The Plains

Rating: 6.21

I said we would be circling back around to Wyatt Flores. Welcome To The Plains was his second release of the year. It had more meat to it at 14 tracks, as opposed to eight on the first one.

Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight was the biggest hit off the album so far, but my personal favorite was Little Town.

That will conclude the write-ups with the top 15. See the full list below. We’ll be back next year with another 100-plus albums.

1	The Lowdown Drifters–In Time	6.88
2	Sturgill Simpson–Passage Du Desir	6.75
3	Shane Smith & The Saints–Norther	6.69
4	Caleb Montgomery–Food Stamps Don’t Buy Flowers	6.6
5	JR Carroll–Dark Cloud	6.6
6	Max McNown–Wandering	6.58
7	Josh Meloy–Where You Came From	6.55
8	Red Clay Strays–Made By These Moments	6.45
9	Jonathan Peyton–Nothing Here’s The Same	6.42
10	Wyatt Flores–Half Life	6.38
11	Gary Clark Jr.–JPEG RAW	6.36
12	Silverada–Silverada	6.30
13	American Aquarium–The Fear of Standing Still	6.3
14	Cody Jinks–Change The Game	6.25
15	Wyatt Flores–Welcome To The Plains	6.21
16	49 Winchester–Leavin’ This Holler	6.2
17	Corb Lund–El Viejo	6.18
18	Waylon Wyatt–Til The Sun Goes Down	6.14
19	Anders Osborne–Picasso’s Villa	6.13
20	John Moreland–Visitor	6.10
21	Kellen Smith–Winter’s End	6.1
22	The Droptines–The Droptines	6.08
23	Tanner Usrey–Cross Lines	6.00
24	Zach Bryan–The Great American Bar Scene	6.00
25	Warren Haynes–Million Voices Whisper	6
26	Luke Grimes–Luke Grimes	5.92
27	The Heavy Heavy–One of a Kind	5.92
28	Yarn–Born Blessed Grateful & Alive	5.92
29	Charley Crockett–$10 Cowboy	5.91
30	Blackberry Smoke–Be Right Here	5.90
31	JP Harris–JP Harris is a Trash Fire	5.9
32	Hayes & The Heathens	5.88
33	Joyner Lucas–Not Now I’m Busy	5.81
34	The Dead South–Chains and Stakes	5.80
35	Black Keys–Ohio Players	5.79
36	Adeem The Artists–Anniversary	5.75
37	Josh Abbott Band–Somewhere Down The Road	5.73
38	Katie Pruitt–Mantras	5.73
39	Eminem–The Death of Slim Shady	5.73
40	Orville Peck–Stampede	5.73
41	Dwight Yoakam–Brighter Days	5.71
42	Jackson Dean–On The Back Of My Dreams	5.69
43	The Mavericks–Moon & Stars	5.64
44	Cris Jacobs–One of These Days	5.64
45	Red Shahan–Loose Funky Texas Junky	5.64
46	Tyler, The Creator–Chromokopia	5.64
47	Reckless Kelly–The Last Frontier	5.64
48	Jack White–No Name	5.62
49	Zach Top–Cold Beer & Country Music	5.58
50	Taylor Swift–The Tortured Poets Department	5.56
51	Sam Morrow–On The Ride Here	5.55
52	Marcus King–Mood Swings	5.55
53	Medium Build–Can’t Be Cool Forever	5.55
54	Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre–Missionary	5.53
55	The High Hawks–Mother Nature’s Show	5.50
56	LL Cool J–The Force	5.5
57	Kendrick Lamar–GNX	5.5
58	The Avett Brothers–The Avett Brothers	5.44
59	Connor Michael–With Devotion	5.44
60	Sierra Ferrell–Trail of Flowers	5.42
61	Daniel Donato–Reflector	5.40
62	Kaitlin Butts–Roadrunner	5.40
63	Shovels & Rope–Something Is Working Up Above My Head	5.4
64	Linkin Park–From Zero	5.4
65	Justin Timberlake–Everything I Thought It Was	5.39
66	John Craigie–Pagan Church	5.36
67	Morgan Wade–Obsessed	5.36
68	Bob Vylan–Humble as the Sun	5.3
69	Mickey Lamantia–The Cannon File	5.29
70	Koe Wetzel–9 Lives	5.29
71	Nathaniel Rateliff & TheNight Sweats–South of Here	5.27
72	Tobe Nwigwe–Hood Hymns	5.27
73	Lupe Fiasco–Country	5.25
74	Kacey Musgraves–Deeper Well	5.21
75	Bun B–Trillstaik 3	5.20
76	Ghostface Killah–Set The Tone (Guns & Roses)	5.20
77	Billy Strings–Highway Prayers	5.2
78	Elles Bailey–Beneath The Neon Glow	5.2
79	Schoolboy Q–Blue Lips	5.13
80	The Game & Big Hit–Paisley Dreams	5.11
81	Ryan Adams–Star Sign	5.10
82	Will Carlisle–Critterland	5.10
83	Sarah Jarosz–Polaroid Lovers	5.09
84	JJ Grey & Mofro–Olustee	5.09
85	The Decemberists–As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again	5.08
86	Chatham County Line-Hiyo	5.00
87	The Dip–Love Direction	5
88	Chase Rice–Go Down Signin’	5
89	The Deslondes–Roll It Out	4.92
90	Lyrical Lemondade–All Is Yellow	4.79
91	MJ Lenderman–Manning Fireworks	4.78
92	Niko Moon–Better Days	4.77
93	The Black Crowes–Happiness Bastards	4.70
94	JD McPherson–Nite Owls	4.7
95	The Steel Wheels–Sideways	4.67
96	Karen Jonas–The Rise and Fal of American Kitsch	4.67
97	Lizzie No–Halfies	4.64
98	Mark Knopfler–One Deep River	4.58
99	Lawrence–Family Business	4.58
100	Oliver Wood–Fat Cat Silhouette	4.55
101	Suzy Bogguss–Praying For Sunshine	4.50
102	Scotty H. Biram–The One & Only Scott H. Biram	4.50
103	Childish Gambino–Atavista	4.50
104	Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings–Woodlawn	4.5
105	The Secret Sisters–Mind, Man, Medicine	4.40
106	Highly Suspect–As Above, So Below	4.36
107	Microwave–Let’s Start Degeneracy	4.20
108	St. Vincent–All Born Screaming	4.2
109	Childish Gambino–Bando Stone and The New World	4.18
110	Amos Lee–Transmissions	4.17
111	Beyonce–Cowboy Carter	4.15
112	Hurray For The Riff Raff–The Past Is Still Alive	4.10