5. Beware (2009)

In an interview with Uncut, Oldham said he was in awe of the session musicians brought in to rework old songs for Sings Greatest Palace Music. But for my money, they’ve got nothing on the group of players on Beware, Oldham’s first full-fledged country album of new material. Maybe it’s because the songs on “Beware” were written with the “Nashville sound” in mind, but either way it vindicated Oldham’s country music chops in the minds of fans who thought Sings Greatest Palace Music was basically an unmitigated disaster.

That said, the album doesn’t really kick into high year until the fourth-track, “Death Final,” a stately mandolin jam that finds hope amid pits of bodies and angels of death. Other highlights include the hilarious and derangedly catchy fiddle tune, “You Don’t Love Me” which if nothing else will etch the image of Oldham’s stomach jiggling onto your brain, and the Southern prom slow dance, “I Don’t Belong To Anyone.” It all leads back to one conclusion: Somebody needs to get Oldham a guest-spot on Nashville opposite Coach Taylor’s wife. Let’s start a petition. We can do this, people.