10 Greatest Albums Of 2016
7. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide To Earth
You might think you hate country music - if that's the case, you haven't heard Sturgill Simpson. Sturgill Simpson is proof that even a genre associated with boring cliches and cheesy as hell instrumentation can produce immense depth and quality.
A Sailor's Guide To Earth is Simpsons' third studio album, and by far his best. Throughout the record's nine tracks Simpsons' deep, flawless voice booms with a powerful twang over lush instrumentation. That's really where the record shines - there's much more at play than guitar and drums. Simpson employs everything from piano to cello, trombone, violin, bagpipes and even something called a "flugelhorn" (apparently it's a kind of trumpet).
Topping off the album is an absolutely fantastic rendition of Nirvana's In Bloom, torn open and rendered anew by Simpson's smooth, melodic interpretation.