It’s been a long road for the LoCash Cowboys, but the Nashville-based duo consisting of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust are set to release their debut album on June 18. Formed in the early ’00s when both Chris and Preston worked at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, the pair blur the lines between contemporary country and ’80s rock on their self-titled effort with a mix of slick country boy anthems and thoughtful ballads.

Though Chris, who was raised in Baltimore, and Indiana native Preston found success in Music City as songwriters (the duo penned Keith Urban’s No. 1 single “You Gonna Fly” as well as Tim McGraw’s hit “Truck Yeah”), setbacks including a record label closure delayed the release of their own debut. The duo, which was discovered by hit songwriter Jeffrey Steele (“What Hurts the Most,” “My Town”) at one of their Wildhorse Saloon gigs, takes advantage of the opportunity in front of them now to show off their diverse songwriting talents.

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Lonestar’s 2013 album, Life As We Know It.

After sitting out Lonestar’s 2010 album, Party Heard Around the World, as he pursued a solo career, original lead singer Richie McDonald returns for the band’s eighth studio album. Life As We Know It, due in stores June 4, not only marks a reunion between Richie and fellow members Michael Britt (lead guitar/backing vocals), Keech Rainwater (drums) and Dean Sams (keyboards/backing vocals), but it’s also the first time the group has had complete creative control over a new project.

Lonestar not only produced Life As We Know It themselves, but they’re also set to release it through their own 4 Star Records. Pair that with the quartet writing nine of the album’s 12 songs and the foundation here is one of complete artistic freedom. The result is in many ways a return to form for the group that notched nine No. 1 singles through the late ’90s and early ’00s.

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LeAnn Rimes’ 2013 album, Spitfire.

After several years of intense scrutiny for highly publicized personal matters, LeAnn Rimes opens up in impressive fashion on her revealing new album, Spitfire. Due in stores June 4, Spitfire is easily the 30-year-old singer/songwriter’s most personal project to date as she directly addresses the firestorm of emotions surrounding her affair, divorce from first husband Dean Sheremet and subsequent marriage to Eddie Cibrian.

Albums with the emotional punch of Spitfire don’t come around often, and it’s hard to overstate the level of vulnerability on display through the project’s 13 songs. LeAnn co-wrote eight of these, and when paired with producer / arranger Darrell Brown’s (Radney Foster, Neil Young) unpolished and open production, the set not only touches raw nerves, but it grabs them and yanks down hard.

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Randy Rogers Band photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Trouble just might be the Randy Rogers Band’s best album to date. Though a few RRB purists might be caught off guard by some of the new wrinkles heard on the band’s sixth studio album, the ultimate payoff makes for an exciting ride courtesy of the Texas-bred band.

In stores now, Trouble marks the first collaboration between the quintet and in-demand producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church’s Chief, Little Big Town’s Tornado). Though Randy’s bittersweet melodies and Lone Star drawl still ache through the album’s 11 songs, Jay Joyce’s dynamic and atmospheric dial provides the band’s sound with a whole new dimension.

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Darius Rucker’s 2013 album True Believers. Photo courtesy of Capitol Records Nashville.

As his current single, “Wagon Wheel,” takes its place at the top of the country music charts, singer/songwriter Darius Rucker is releasing his third solo album for Capitol Records Nashville. True Believers, the follow up to his 2010 gold-certified record, Charleston, SC 1966, is a 12-song set once again showing that this man can craft and deliver a hook.

Darius catapulted to stardom in 1994 with the release of Cracked Rear View, the 16-times platinum debut by his first band Hootie & the Blowfish. Nearly 20 years later, Darius still maintains a prominent position in popular music, a feat nearly impossible without the ability to consistently grow as well as give fans what they want. On True Believers, in stores May 21, Darius manages to do both.

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Dailey & Vincent’s 2013 album, Brothers of the Highway. Photo courtesy of APEX Entertainment Management.

Three-time IBMA Entertainer of the Year Dailey & Vincent stay the hardcore bluegrass course on their newest project, Brothers of the Highway, with a record full of immaculate harmonies, expert musicianship and more than a touch of nostalgia. Producing the album themselves, Jamie Dailey (vocals, guitar) and Darrin Vincent (vocals, bass) chose songs that have long inspired the duo after a meaningful conversation with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs left them wanting to revisit some of their all-time favorites. The result is a blistering 12-song set that covers the likes of The Louvin Brothers, Kathy Mattea and Vince Gill as banjo and twin fiddles fly.

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George Strait’s 2013 album, Love Is Everything. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.

Country legend George Strait may be turning 61-years-old the same week his brand new project, Love Is Everything, hits stores, but make no mistake – age certainly isn’t slowing down the prolific King of Country. Love Is Everything, George’s 40^thstudio album available May 14, revels in the expressive, emotional energy we’ve come to expect from the Country Music Hall of Famer.

Playing like a classic Strait record through and through, Love Is Everything makes its mark by being earnest, thoughtful and very country. George wrote or co-wrote four of the album’s 13 songs, and tracks like the youthful “The Night Is Young” (co-written with his son Bubba and longtime writing partner Dean Dillon) show that George’s energy and passion haven’t changed. Though his smooth Texas twang sounds a bit older, George’s timing on songs like the full circle, “I Got A Car” and his ability to convey a song’s true essence are that of an expert storyteller. The crumbling loneliness of the countrypolitan-influenced, “I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This,” which references Hank Sr.’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” or the upbeat strut of “I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing” both carry a sound you can feel. And when he sings, I know it’s real ‘cause my heart don’t lie, on the latter, it’s hard not to imagine listeners thinking the same thing.

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Lady Antebellum photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

On their fourth studio album, Nashville harmony trio Lady Antebellum takes a sly step forward with a more polished sound and a few subtle changes in their songwriting style. Golden, which is available now, propels the seven-time Grammy winners with twelve new songs willing to change things up while making sure not to take away from the group’s famous chemistry.

Co-producing the project with long-term collaborator Paul Worley (The Band Perry, Sara Evans), the members of Lady A – Hillary Scott (vocals), Charles Kelley (vocals) and Dave Haywood (guitar, vocals) – found inspiration for the new project through the moments they shared onstage during their recent Own The Night World Tour. And from an energy standpoint, Golden rides high on finely executed dramatics and an upbeat tempo.

Watch our exclusive interview clips with Lady A »

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Trace Adkins’ 2013 album, Love Will… Photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

As if working to craft a response to the open ended title, Trace Adkins reaches deep on his 11^th studio album to explore life’s most passionate emotion. Love Will…, due in stores May 14, captures scenes and feelings as different as desperation and security over the course of 11 songs looking to offer some insight on a very complicated subject.

Stretching out to incorporate new sounds, Trace worked with five different producers on the project, including Frank Rogers (Josh Turner, Darius Rucker) and Mark Wright (producer of Trace’s 2011 album Proud To Be Here). The result is a varied collection that sounds fresh at each new turn while still concentrating on one theme. The bluesy, “So What If I Do” flashes darker shades over B-3 keys and a bass-driven rhythm section as Trace pushes himself to express inescapable feelings. The slicing guitars and rising melodies of “Right Now” hint at the dynamic approach of Lady Antebellum while the fireplace-ready “Come See Me” shows off the upper reaches of Trace’s voice in a pristine, fluid chorus. There’s a modern edge to these songs, but it’s done subtly and offers a new element to Trace’s deep baritone and traditional roots.

Songs like the truck stop drama, “When I Stop Loving You,” and the acoustic based ballad, “If The Sun Comes Up” carry a more traditional sound that fans will recognize. The former is a deceptively easygoing tune about a marriage proposal that seems on the verge of going very bad. Though the chorus is smart and engaging, Trace sets the scene by first describing “a lovesick, desperate man” to build the drama. The heartfelt “If The Sun Comes Up” was included on last year’s Act of Valor Soundtrack. Surrounded here by love songs, however, seemingly gives voice to a completely different set of characters to reaffirm those universal feelings.

While the album generally keeps its PG-rating on songs like “Say No To A Woman” and the standout cut “Every One of You,” Trace does take opportunities to show off his more seductive side. “The Altar Of Your Love” is a hard country, electric rocker barely held back by palm-muted power chords. On the country disco “Kiss You All Over,” Trace is joined by Exile (who had a No. 1 hit with the song in 1978) for one of the album’s biggest highlights. Harmonies flow and keyboards rejoice as they sing, I want to kiss you all over/and over again, on a song that really needs to be heard on dance floors this summer.

Grammy winning pop singer Colbie Caillat joins in for the melodrama of “Watch the World End,” and the Harlem Gospel Chorus helps out on the uplifting Southern Gospel title track. Trace has always had fantastic range, but Love Will… features many dynamic performances where simple inflections and nuances add whole new dimensions. An emotion as rich and complicated as love can certainly mean something different from one person to the next, but on Love Will…, Trace succeeds in giving listeners an insightful and personal look at what it means to him.

Key Tracks – “Love Will,” “Kiss You All Over,” “Every One Of You,” “If The Sun Comes Up”

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Courtney Jaye’s 2013 album, Love and Forgiveness.

Nashville based singer/songwriter Courtney Jaye’s third full-length album, Love and Forgiveness, wraps bruised experience in an optimistic sheen for a message that new beginnings are always possible. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Mike Wrucke (Miranda Lambert, David Nail), Love and Forgiveness recalls the laid-back pop vibe of 1970s California country heard in artists like Neil Young and The Eagles with a decidedly alternative slant.

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