Tyler Childers Essentials

Tyler Childers makes country music that feels lived in, like a pair of perfectly broken-in boots. On tracks like "Feathered Indians," from 2017, the Kentucky singer tenderly describes the sort of small, precious moments that are usually forgotten. His unpolished arrangements make these memories feel extra special: Purgatory, his Sturgill Simpson–produced debut LP, includes not just guitar but bouncy mouth harp ("Whitehouse Road") and old-time fiddle ("I Swear [To God]"). "Nose on the Grindstone," meanwhile, features only Childers and his guitar, an unsparing setting for lyrics that pass along tough advice from his coal-miner father.