10. Sam Outlaw
Tenderheart
In a past life, Sam Outlaw was an advertising executive in Southern California, before he changed gears at 30 and started making stately, well, tender, country music that sounds like an indie pop update to the vaunted Countrypolitan sound. His sophomore album Tenderheart is a witty, sly, well-produced album with songs both hilarious (“She’s Playing Hard To Get Rid Of”) and raw (“Say It To Me”). But it’s Outlaw’s voice—a soft, beautiful instrument—that makes Tenderheart an album worthy of becoming a constant companion.