Zach Bryan performs at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Aug. 21, 2023. Sean Liming/STAFF. OAKLAND — “I’m really sorry it’s Monday,” country star Zach Bryan said at the outset of his show at Oakland Arena. “If it was up to me, no one would have to go in…

Maisie Peters, “The Good Witch.” In a world full of love and breakup songs, finding an example that isn’t surface-level or full of cliches is hard. Up-and-coming British pop singer Maisie Peters has been on a mission to change that and accomplishes her mission on her sophomore LP, The…

Niall Horan, “The Show.” Despite having a number of years in the music industry under his belt, Niall Horan is still relatively new as a solo artist. After One Direction’s breakup, the Irish artist made two solo albums since 2017. His newest offering, The Show, is an opportunity to further…

Tanya Tucker, “Sweet Home Sound.” Tanya Tucker, one of outlaw country’s most cherished voices, is back withSweet Western Sound. Tucker built a career on earnest songwriting and authenticity, which hasn’t changed on her newest record. Produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, this album follows in the footsteps of…

Jessie Ware, “That! Feels Good!” After over a decade of music and a myriad of writing credits for artists from Nicki Minaj to Ed Sheeran, Jessie Ware is more fun and upbeat than ever. Her fifth album, That! Feels Good! continues to solidify Ware as a sophisticated soul-pop artist…

Hunter Hayes, courtesy. Singer-songwriter Hunter Hayes has been making music for nearly 15 years, but his latest project is arguably his most exciting and most personal. Red Sky is the first album Hayes has made since leaving Warner Nashville, and that journey inspired much of the process. Hayes and…

Luke Combs, “Gettin’ Old” Billed as a reflection of where Luke Combs is at in his life now while reminiscing on the way things used to be, Growin’ Up, traverses themes of love, loss and family. But rather than from the perspective of a young man looking to make his…

Morgan Wallen, “One Thing at a Time.” A 36-song album is an ambitious endeavor for any artist, but that is especially true for Morgan Wallen, who’s mostly been out of the spotlight since getting caught on video uttering a racist slur early in 2021 and publicly flaunting COVID protocols before that.…

Shania Twain, “Queen of Me.” To think that there was a time when we thought we would never hear new music from Shania Twain again is incredible considering where she is today. Even though personal health struggles threatened to sideline her singing career, the best-selling female country artist was…

SG Lewis, “AudioLust & HigherLove.” SG Lewis knows the value of a dynamics in music. Having worked with the likes of Elton John, Dua Lipa and Tove Lo as a producer and cowriter, the British artist is familiar with how to craft a song from many different sources of…