Outlaws' Almanac: A Righteous Gathering of Folk-Roots Freedom Songs

Lizzie No, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, helms and executive produces Outlaws' Almanac, a collaborative roots-music concept album released on Juneteenth. This album brings together a group of young, like-minded country, folk, and blues songwriters who are often overlooked by mainstream music industry. No is part of a group of artists who have gained recognition for their unique blend of folk, pop, and Americana, with Rolling Stone naming her to its 'Future 25' list in 2024.

pegged to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Outlaws' Almanac is a collection of contemporary and repurposed folk-roots freedom songs that portray a modern America torn apart by lack of access to healthcare and ruled by 'white boys with money.' Root veterans Kasey Anderson and Eric Ambel put it succinctly in their searing take on Anderson's 'The Dangerous Ones.'

The album is not merely a powerful plea for liberation. It also doubles as a showcase for some of the most exciting rising voices in folk-roots music. Among the highlights is the mesmerizing 'One Day' from Hawaiian country bluesman Kapali Long, the searing Civil Rights-era spiritual 'Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around' from Brandi Waller-Pace, and a solo saxophone avant-deconstruction of 'Ol' Man River' from Will Greene.

Nathan Evans Fox, the North Carolina-raised singer whose just-released album Heirloom is one of the year’s best, breathes fresh life into an older homesick tale – 'Some Things Are Coming Back Again.' No's own song 'It’s the Season of Rebellion,' rounds out the album, leaving listeners with a clear message of resistance and resilience.

The album is both plea, polemic, and protest, its argument that oppressed and working people deserve rights and dignity, and that those things have historically been won through rebellion and revolution. But its argument is hardly radical; whether brand new or hundreds of years old, these are tunes just as likely to be hummed on one’s way to work as performed at a protest.

With its strong messages of hope and struggle, this collection has potential to become a classic among the folk and roots genre. Released on a significant day in American history, it offers an authentic and poignant portrait of America today.

Outlaws' Almanac is now out, check your favorite music streaming platforms!