10 Best Americana and Country Songs of 2022's First Half

by Julian Spivey
I’m not the biggest fan of mid-year lists because I don’t like to spoil my end of year list, which I spend so much time and energy on, so for this reason I won’t rank these 10 standouts of Americana and Country Music from the first half of 2022. They are listed alphabetically. 

“Broke Again” by Joshua Hedley
Joshua Hedley’s debut album Mr. Jukebox in 2018 had countrypolitan ‘60s sound. His sophomore release Neon Blue, released in April, takes the sound of ‘90s mainstream country music. I prefer Neon Blue to Mr. Jukebox and my favorite track thus far has been “Broke Again.” This would’ve been a no. 1 smash in the ‘90s. It’s honestly a good song for 2022 with prices skyrocketing due to inflation, but also fun enough to briefly forget all that crap. 

“Carousel” by Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert loves circus imagery in her music, most notably her 2013 single “All Kinds of Kinds.” “Carousel,” off her latest album Palomino, is the best of her circus imagery songs thus far with its tale of a romance between trapeze artists. Co-written with Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby it makes a perfect album ender, especially with a line like “every show must end/every circus leaves town.” 

“Chicamacomico” by American Aquarium
American Aquarium’s B.J. Barham sure knows how to write an emotional song. “Chicamacomico,” the title track of the band’s newest album, might be his most emotional yet as it tells the tale of a couple trying to get back on track after the loss of baby (likely via miscarriage). It’s a raw portrayal of something experienced by so many couples in this world and Barham and the band sound terrific. 

“Collateral Damage” by Shovels & Rope
“Collateral Damage” is my favorite track off Shovels & Rope’s sixth studio album Manticore. The song, written by Cary Ann Hearts, explores the difficulties of life and doing one’s best to get by. I particularly love the song’s chorus: “I get a little hazy on the details/how the whole thing went off the rail/and it got pretty slippery in the deep end/I crawled out of my skin and started over.” I love how the duo Hearst and Michael Trent are a married couple and they sound so great together on this number. 

“Fancy Boys” by Ray Wylie Hubbard feat. Hayes Carll, James McMurtry & Dalton Domino
Three of my favorite singer-songwriters and Dalton Domino get together for “Fancy Boys,” off Ray Wylie Hubbard’s latest duets release Co-Starring Too, a brutal takedown of mainstream country stars like Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, etc. (even though it doesn’t call them out by name) who “prance around on stages where Waylon once stood.” 

“Feelin’ the Miles” by The Wilder Blue
“Feelin’ the Miles” is my favorite track off The Wilder Blue’s sophomore, self-titled album, but in some ways it’s the least country-sounding track on the record. You can even hear some disco vibes in the song (something I generally would turn against). The Wilder Blue have reminded me occasionally of the Eagles on certain tracks and if that analogy continues this would be their “One of These Nights.” Vocalist Zane Williams’ vocal is one of my favorites of the year. 

“Outta Time” by Orville Peck
I had a hard time picking just one song off Orville Peck’s Bronco for this list as it’s one of the best overall albums of 2022 thus far. I settled on “Outta Time,” a gorgeous song with a catchy, simplistic chorus that’s easy to listen to and verses with the kind of specificity I enjoy from a songwriter like the second verse mentioning a woman trying to chat the song’s narrator up and mentioning she doesn’t like Elvis. 

“Sing Me a Song” by William Prince & Serena Ryder
The duet “Sing Me a Song” by William Prince and Serena Ryder is simply adorable. It’s so “simplistic and gentle,” Prince’s own words to The Sound Café, but it works beautifully. Prince and Ryder’s voices meld terrifically, and you’ll instantly fall in love. It’s the best duet I’ve heard thus far this year. 

“Wild-Eyed George Bailey Heebie Jeebies” by Izaak Opatz
There are a couple of things I love about this song right off the bat: 1) it’s reference to “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 2) it’s strange as hell (which fits perfectly for a song with “heebie jeebies” in the title). The song recounts the tale of a relationship in which the woman is ghosting or even gaslighting the guy into thinking it never happened. I particularly love the verse about checking names on gravestones looking for Harry Bailey, George’s brother in the Frank Capra classic who would’ve died if his older brother hadn’t been there to save him. It’s a creative as hell idea for a song.  

“Whose God Is This?” by Will Hoge
Will Hoge is no stranger to using his acid-tongue pen for good in songs I love like “Still a Southern Man” and “Thoughts & Prayers,” and he’s done it once again with “Whose God Is This?,” a comical, spoken word take on a particular type of toxic religion that seems more prevalent in Trump’s America.