Because @salmon256 asked about this and I thought, well, this could be its own thread... I don't know how we want to define "modern" so to be on the safe side, here's a couple of songs released this year.
The new Corb Lund track has a very old-school sound, and while it's not about economic hardship, it's about more modern struggles, poor life choices and "why can't we all find enough peace of mind".
And the title track from the new James McMurtry album... sounds kind of lighthearted and even has a Weird Al reference in it, but it all adds up to a portrait of a very dysfunctional and hopeless narrator.
And, OK, the original post mentioned cowboy songs, but if cowgirls are allowed, I will continue being probably the only person on TB who's ever posted about Valley James. Many sad songs on her album but this is probably the saddest.
Bonus content, not American at all, from a couple of years ago and more of a stylized darkness, but another thing that popped into my mind right away.
The new Corb Lund track has a very old-school sound, and while it's not about economic hardship, it's about more modern struggles, poor life choices and "why can't we all find enough peace of mind".
And the title track from the new James McMurtry album... sounds kind of lighthearted and even has a Weird Al reference in it, but it all adds up to a portrait of a very dysfunctional and hopeless narrator.
And, OK, the original post mentioned cowboy songs, but if cowgirls are allowed, I will continue being probably the only person on TB who's ever posted about Valley James. Many sad songs on her album but this is probably the saddest.
Bonus content, not American at all, from a couple of years ago and more of a stylized darkness, but another thing that popped into my mind right away.
