Johnny Cash - My Mother's Hymn Book

Johnny Cash's voice easily qualifies for the adjectives "authoritative" and "compelling." Country music itself has its roots in hymns. So when the two combine, it's a pretty thrilling listen. Cut around the time of Cash's American series of albums, My Mother's Hymn Book is exactly as its title says. Unadorned - just Cash and his guitar, these songs feel personal in ways that few albums can capture, let alone one not written by its performer. "I'll Fly Away" is joyful in ways that Cash's music sometimes avoided after the success of American Recordings, and many of these songs are a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, "I Am a Pilgrim" sounds like something recorded in a private moment, such is its intimacy. Cash was never an  album artist - just about anyone who started on Sun Records wouldn't be. But among his handful of consistently strong studio albums, this would rank near the top.