At age 16, Lorde charmed the pop world with her runaway hit single "Royals," a song about the malaise of suburban teen life. But what happens when the poet laureate of suburban teen pop is no longer a teen--and no longer trapped in the suburbs.

Colter Wall's songs embrace the time-honored country ethic of sticking almost proudly to your self-destructive ways - despite the deleterious effects they’ve had on your life. These themes, and Wall's skilled songwriting, are evident in this album's five great country choruses.

What did choking on a piece of watermelon candy in a JCPenny store teach Father John Misty about life? A lot, apparently. Join host Bobby Waller and dive deep into this lyrically rich album by singer/songwriter Josh Tillman to learn what it can teach us about the comedy of man and the human condition.

Time shapes life in its own immutable way. And spiritual growth, Valerie June tells us, is commensurate with our ability to understand how time works. Time gives us hard work and heartache. But it also gives us opportunities—to speak the right words, to the do the right things, and to strengthen our bonds with the people we love.

Puerto Rican-American singer Alynda Lee Segarra begins "The Navigator" the way she began her career--by honoring black and white American roots music. But then, something interesting happens in the middle of Track 5. Dive deep with host Bobby Waller to find out why this album changes midstream.

Second albums can be tricky, especially when it follows a highly critically-acclaimed first album. Such is the case with Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens' second solo release. Dive deep into the lyrics to find if Giddens avoids the sophomore slump.

Most music reviews say fairly little about an album’s lyrical content, but I think most singer/songwriters really want us to think about and get their messages. That’s why I created What’s This Album About?, a podcast that dives deep into the lyrics of today's best songwriters.