Best Troubador

Following Merle Haggard’s death in 2016, folk eccentric Will Oldham corralled a loving tribute to the country icon. Backed by a revolving ensemble, Oldham mostly favours the non-charting reaches of Haggard’s half-century catalogue. It’s a priceless meeting of minds, with Oldham’s voice creaking and cracking warmly against the winsome throwback gait of “The Fugitive.” Every touch is tenderly measured across these 16 tracks, whether it’s the glistening guitar twang of “That’s the Way Love Goes” or the deep-seated poignancy of “The Day The Rains Came.”