#137: Interstate Gospel

Ranking The “250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far” (2025)

In 2025, Rolling Stone released their list of “250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far.” I am working my way though the list, from #250 to #1, reviewing each. It’s a fascinating opportunity to revisit old favourites, and maybe discover new ones.

Pistol Annies, 2018

Throughout this list, from #250 and down, I look forward to each entry, even if I am not sure what to expect (don’t ask me about Ashlee Simpson…). There are five general outcomes I’ve discovered in this process:

1. The album is a banger that I recall well and it’s fun to revisit it for a few days;

2. The album is unfortunately exactly what I remembered, and I dutifully listen to make my report;

3. I remember the album from my younger years but didn’t give it a chance back then, and now I have an album that I return to regularly;

4. The album is new to me but didn’t impress me enough to add it to my rotation;

5. I am completely enthralled with a new-to-me artist or album and want everyone else to know about it.

I have recent examples of all five - in the first instance, Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective (#146) was an excellent listen; Yeezus at #147 (except I didn’t listen to it); #151 is Mirror Traffic by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - I threw off my preconceived notions of this album and loved it; #145 is The Off-Season by J Cole and I was not inspired; finally, there’s Interstate Gospel by Pistol Annies.

Miranda Lambert is a true gem. Her 2016 album The Weight of These Wings is #480 on the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and her 2014 album Platinum is #48 on the “250 Greatest Albums of the 21^st Century So Far.” Here, she joins Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley to create pure magic. It’s a country album, for certain, but it’s outlaw country with classic country elements that leave it sounding timeless. In fact, the only things that really place it in the 21^st century are the lyrics, as country music artists didn’t start singing about rolling joints until very recently.

#480: The Weight of These Wings

The songs range from country ballads to rockers, all with a classic country sound. The lead single, “Got My Name Changed Back,” ends with a 50s-era harmony between the three, transitioning so smoothly from a straightforward country rocker to something otherworldly. The chorus features the line “I don’t wanna be a Mrs. on paper no more,” and for some reason I find this very funny. But all through the album there’s heartbreak and resilience, capped with the gorgeous “Leavers Lullaby.” Lyrically, the song is fairly straightforward as most country songs are, but with daggers of truth: “Living wild and exhausted / Paying what it cost to feel so free” and “I want whatever it is / I ain’t gettin’ from you.” Musically, this song is majestic. With a delicate melody on the chorus, chiming electric guitar, and pedal steel rattling around, it could be an outtake from Rust Never Sleeps. Then the trumpet sails in the background, and it’s really a Linda Ronstadt legacy that we’re hearing. It comes altogether in the last minute, finishing with an a cappella denouement that is just perfect.

Another standout track is “Stop Drop and Roll One,” featuring legendary Chuck Leavell on piano. There’s no “Jessica”-esque solo on this one, but the lively barroom piano is still vibrant. The last half of the album is dominated by tearjerkers, such as the excellent “Masterpiece,” except for the penultimate track “Interstate Gospel,” a rocker with the nearly irreverent “Jesus is the bread of life / Without him you’re toast.”

Overall, this album is a revelation. The three of them are brilliant singers and together it’s incredible. Across the 14 tracks there’s no loss of momentum even with the slower tracks: they keep the intensity up throughout. It’s a fantastic album and if you’ve not listened to Pistol Annies before, I highly recommend it.