Israel Nash - Israel Nash's Rain Plans (2013)

A Missouri native who’d been living in New York City before relocating to Dripping Springs, Texas, Israel Nash found his new home back in the wide-open country to be all the inspiration he needed to write Rain Plans, an album that received no less than four and a half (out of five) stars from Rolling Stone magazine in Germany, which called it “the most phenomenal Americana record of the year.” One listen to such stunningly beautiful countryfied songs as “Woman at the Well,” “Just Like Water,” and “Who in Time,” and it’s clearly understandable where such praise comes from. The thick harmonies, the shimmering pedal steel guitars, and an overall overwhelming country-rock feel that’s based in Nash’s heartfelt vocals (reminiscent of Neil Young at his Harvest best), make this entire album a singer/songwriter triumph and an Americana feat. Self-produced but recorded by GRAMMY®-winning engineer Ted Young (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile), Rain Plans is an album for the ages.