Despite the title, this girl is definitely going somewhere. McBryde turns more than a decade of unglamorous gigging and rejection from teachers and record labels into a triumphant album -- one that resonates with confidence, vulnerability and, most of all, truth. With her sturdy yet pliant vocals, McBryde never lets her clever phrase-turning distract from the heart of the matter: that life is often best at the margins and in the shadows, whether it’s seeking the passion of a clandestine affair in “American Scandal” or celebrating the mere act of surviving another day in lead single “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega.” While rooted firmly in country traditionalism, McBryde isn’t afraid to throw in some bluesy licks on tracks like “Home Sweet Highway” -- but above all, it’s her knack for specificity in her lyrics that elevates McBryde’s breakout debut above most of what's coming out of Nashville in 2018. -- MELINDA NEWMAN
Beach House, 7
Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have been putting out albums that are equal parts dreary and dreamy for 12 years. 7 marks, yes, their seventh album together, and though it is still a shimmering, melancholy voyage, with synthesizers and guitars the primary tools, there were some changes: The band parted ways with four-time producer Chris Coady, stretched the recording process over 11 months, and gave itself room to experiment. The drums charge through opener “Dark Spring” and disappear on “L’Inconnue.” “Drunk in L.A.” dials up the synthesizers, while standout “Dive” throws a low and dirty guitar into the spotlight. Legrand says the songs were inspired by the “societal insanity” of 2016-'17, and this could account for the LP's heft and occasional chaos. But because it’s a Beach House record, any weight is tempered by the melodic effervescence listeners have come to expect from a band that always shines a light into the darkness. -- CHRISTINE WERTHMAN
Brandi Carlile, By the Way I Forgive You
Shocker: pairing Brandi Carlile with folk/country super-producer Dave Cobb is an extremely good idea, as is tossing Shooter Jennings into the mix as well. By the Way, I Forgive You is the surest showcase yet of Carlile’s Americana sensibilities, starting right off the bat with stunning, harmony-rich album opener “Every Time I Hear That Song” and immediately following with lead single “The Joke,” the closest she’s come to replicating signature song “The Story” since its 2007 release. It’s a staggering one-two punch, and you’re not even one-fifth of the way through the album. -- KEVIN RUTHERFORD
BTS, Love Yourself: Tear
Leave it to BTS to break record after record in their ascent up the charts. The K-pop titans dropped a concept album about the loss of love, but there’s no love lost for Love Yourself: Tear: it clinched BTS’s first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It's one of their most thematically cohesive yet sonically varied albums, with maximalist production erupting against lyrics about emptiness. The album’s kaleidoscopic genre-hopping is exemplified by the emo-inflected lead single, “Fake Love” -- which is not so much a departure as an addendum to the septet’s sound. -- CAITLIN KELLEY