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Adam Mac

Rainbow Rodeo Reader's Poll: The Best Queer Country Albums of 2023 and Beyond

Rainbow Rodeo Reader's Poll: The Best Queer Country Albums of 2023 and Beyond

We asked and you voted — with 647 responses, here are the top 10 queer country albums of the year as voted on by readers like you! We’ve provided excerpts from reviews on Rainbow Rodeo where possible. We also included reader responses.

Read the full reviews at the links below, and sign up for our newsletter to keep up with all the best queer country news! And sign up to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month for updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and early access to the zines!

10. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh — Brittany Ann Tranbaugh

On her new self-titled EP, Brittany Ann Tranbaugh demonstrates her versatility and her keen eye for humanity. Tranbaugh captures yearning with style. — Rachel Cholst

9a. Brian Falduto — Gay Country

“Gay Country, the newest LP from Brian Falduto, is a cotton candy country romp presented in a throwback ‘90s package. Falduto’s voice, reminiscent of Jon Pardi with a hint of Chris Young, powers along over a bland and typical tapestry of pedal steel, acoustic guitars, and the occasional organ pad.” — Gion Davis, Issue 3 of Rainbow Rodeo

9b. Bonnie and the Mere Mortals — Live & Unplugged at the Club Cafe

“Ramone’s performance is confident and inviting. Her warmth sells the tale: while the song begins with a tone of friendly warning, it ends with a sense of love for the narrator’s partner. In fact, the characters end the vignette much stronger than when they began.” — RC

8. Flamy Grant — Bible Belt Baby

Note: Rainbow Rodeo was the first publication to review Bible Belt Baby.

“There’s no hiding Flamy’s church training on this album. Whether she’s getting saucy on the gospel funk number “What Did You Drag Me Into?” or the raw soulfulness (no pun intended) of “Holy Ground,” Grant’s voice rings true and clear. There’s no ambiguity to her lyrics, either: like the best of ‘em, Grant transmutes emotional complexity into three choruses, a bridge, and chords to match.” — RC

7. Joel Brogon — Where Do We Go From Here?

6. Joy Oladokun — Proof of Life

“Joy Oladokun shows us that there’s hope, truth, and lessons in the journey it takes to be human in their highly anticipated newest project Proof of Life. Track after track we are taken through metaphorical and allegorical nods to the end of the world, relationships, and growing older; but the insistent melodies continue to keep us afloat and show us the proof of life.” — TJ Squire

5. Brandy Clark — Brandy Clark

4. Allison Russell — The Returner

“Russell has never trapped herself in a genre box, but there’s something audacious in the way The Returner skips about picking a bouquet of disco, funk, soul, even a lean towards new wave in “Shadowlands,” along with the notes of gospel, old-time and country familiar from her discography to date.” — Rebekah Bouche

3. Tina and Her Pony — Marigolds

“If you’re looking for some sweet tunes to swaddle yourself in as they carry you gently into spring, look no further than Tina and Her Pony’s latest record Marigolds. Spring is a season heralding life and renewal, but, for many people, it’s also a period of seasonal depression. Marigolds holds space for both.” — Arend Lee Jessurun

2. Keturah Allgood — Shine

“Keturah Allgood’s debut album Shine is a horse pill of optimism against chaos and despair. Shine transforms into an album of determination, grit, and an iron grip on the belief in the goodness of humanity.” — RC

1. Amy Martin — Travelin’ On

Is there an album we forgot or didn’t know about? Nominate it here!

We linked to album reviews on other sites where possible.

What do you think was the biggest story in the queer country world this year?

What are you most excited for in the queer country world in 2024?

  • More queer artists coming out with creative music
  • Amy Martin
  • New music from Adeem the Artist and Willi Carlisle
  • “The inclusivity to just keep rising and queer artists feeling more and more comfortable moving into the mainstream industry rather than being regulated to the shadows.”

And, of course:

  • “MORE MUSIC MORE GAY”

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