Max Jackson - Dangerous In Denim (2026)

I don’t hold my horses for nobody,” declares Max Jackson on her third album of rock-forward modern country. She has called these songs her most self-assured to date and that unwavering confidence hammers home the affectionate country tropes in these big-hearted anthems and love songs. “Red Dirt ROCKNROLL” is a proud portrait of her upbringing in rural New South Wales, where AC/DC sits comfortably next to George Jones on car stereos and the locals “party hard and pray for rain.” Another fruitful look back comes with “1990 Somethin’,” a love letter to a blockbuster era of country radio that cites “Achy Breaky Heart” and Alan Jackson alike.

Capturing open skies and dirty boots while sporting sing-along harmonies, album closer “Little More Country” topped the Australian country airplay chart and won a Golden Guitar for Single of the Year. There are plenty of light, frisky moments too, as when Jackson describes cozying up against the driver when taking a sharp corner on the jangly “Shotgun Slide.” Even when working with trusty co-writers from Nashville and New Zealand, Jackson’s deep-seated pride in where she’s from is always evident. As she reminds us against bristling banjo and electric guitar on “GRASS”: “The grass is pretty green right here.”