Lowstar are a rock band, but when I explained we were only going to be interested in posting their songs when they hit their Johnny Cash phase Ian from the band sent us this - the cheese-fest that is George Michael's finest moment (other than careless whisper's sax break) slowed down, bit of lap steel and a touch of glockenspiel. Rather affecting it is too. Happy new year!
Catherine Howe - What a Beautiful Place 
Easily the most listened to in the car, for the palpable surge of joy and pleasure whilst stuck in traffic I guess. The odd instrumentals that sound like the intro to the original Star Trek along with her slightly plummy, ever so English talk overs are a treat in themselves, but the strings are a true thing of beauty.
Listen: Catherine Howe - Up North
Patty Griffin - Railway Wings
Bloody marvellous, a firm favorite for both of us. Our first exposure to Patty's work, and on the basis of this album we're both looking forward to exploring her back catalogue.
Listen: Patty Griffin - Railroad Wings
The Acorn - Tin Fist
A mini album of mini masterpieces that also gave us the fantastically named Tin-Fisting tour. Classy chamber-pop.
Listen: The Acorn - Dents
Two Dollar Pistols - Here Tomorrow Gone Today
Quality, straight up country from a man blessed with a truly extraordinary set of pipes. No nonense, tear in your beer honky tonk and all the better for it.
Listen: Two Dollar Pistols - Nothing Left of Me at All
Leatherbag - Love Me Like the Devil
Probably 2007's most-played album in the northern lonesome outpost. We had a long debate about which song to post up here - really, all of the tracks are superb. Stripped down melancholia with a story to tell and strings and steel to bring you to your knees. Highly recommended.
Listen: Leatherbag - Jennie from Milwaukee
Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall it's the Way You Land
Without doubt, Revival is the song of the year. Mark Lanegan sings country feedback, spiritualized style. Amazing. The rest of the album can't quite match it, but when a song is this good, that's not surprising.
Listen: Soulsavers - Revival
Riders in the sky - Public Cowboy Volume One - A Centennial Salute to the Music of Gene Autry
We're Rider Pals and so should you be, too. Proper big sky western music with a knowing smile but without any trace of cynicism.
Listen: Riders In The Sky - Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle
Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Sam Beam makes the leap from spartan to splendour look effortless.
Listen: Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth
James Blackshaw - O True Believers
Instrumental 12 string guitar music that is more about mood than flash. Somewhere between baroque & folk, Philip Glass on a harpsichord maybe?
Listen: James Blackshaw - Spiralling Skeleton Memorial
Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers
Much more going on than first impressions would suggest.
Listen: Laura Veirs - To The Country
Hayward Williams - Another Sailor's Dream
We stumbled upon this charmer when he supported No River City and his album is a very easy listen. It's everything the Ryan Adams album should have been - bittersweet, rootsy and full of heart. With extra harmonica.
Listen: Hayward Williams - Careful Please
The Roadside Graves - No-one Will Know Where You've Been
Relentlessly bleak and beautiful, this album is a woozy roadtrip of a record, full of gorgeous songs about ugly things. Imagine the Jayhawks singing Richmond Fontaine to a National backing track and you get the picture.
Listen: The Roadside Graves - Live Slow
Buck Owens rather than Buckfast, obviously. 
I like a bit of Merle, I like it even more when he does his bluegrass thing. So whilst clearing out our extensive back catalogue of emails I came across a plea to post someting about Merle's Bluegrass Sessions album. This hasn't been released in the UK (where we're based) so it rather fell off my radar, but a few listens to the tracks on repeat was all it took to realise it's a lonesome post.
