Charley Crockett’s new album is his third full-length release in just over a year, completing his so-called “Sagebrush Trilogy” that also includes 2025’s Lonesome Drifter and Dollar a Day. According to press materials, Age of the Ram tells the story of a “small-time cattle rustler” named Billy McLane who finds himself “pursued by bounty hunters working for a shadow syndicate.” If Crockett’s cinematic ambitions weren’t obvious from the 20-song tracklist studded with parentheticals like “Main Theme,” the first thing we hear on the record is “and now for our feature presentation” and the sound of a projector rolling. While his aperture may be wider than ever, the Texan songwriter keeps his camera trained on the outskirts, and the rovers, roamers, and drifters who traverse them.
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Swae Lee: Same Difference [EarDrummers/Interscope]
It’s never too late for a debut solo album…right? In Swae Lee’s case, the timing actually may be opportune—with 2016 nostalgia in full swing and a new Spiderman on the way, the Rae Sremmurd crooner’s signature sound is once again in demand. Same Difference, his first release without his brother and Rae Sremmurd bandmate Slxm Jimmi, splits the difference between centering his elastic singing voice and cementing him as a presence in rap’s major leagues. The beat palette ranges from smooth Afrobeats to F1LTHY nods to Weeknd-style ’80s pop pastiche, but always keeps a light touch. Features shake out the same way, with NAV, Jhené Aiko, Rich the Kid, French Montana, and “Sunflower” collaborator Post Malone all dropping in; even Jimmi pops up on “Working Remote.”
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