Price of Admission

The Turnpike Troubadours are possibly the most famous band that many people have never heard of. That’s a shame.\ They’re not exactly bluegrass, although they’ve covered John Hartford. They’re not exactly country, but they’ve covered Alabama. They’re not really folk, but they have covered John Prine.

And while all those covers are strong fresh takes, they’re not remotely what makes the band so great. It’s the songwriting from the band’s lead singer and guitar player, Evan Felker, one of the best at putting pen to paper in this current era. Felker wrote or co-wrote all the songs on Price of Admission.

Red Dirt Country is the most likely category to place the Turnpike Troubadours, but their latest album, Price of Admission — a “surprise” release — put them at #2 on the country charts in the first week, despite little popular radio play and virtually no pre-publicity.

The first track on the release, “On the Red River,” sets the tone right away and establishes that the work is going to be what fans have come to expect over six previous releases. The song is a story of alcoholism and the loss of a father and was co-written by Felker and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor.

While the album features the band’s trademark ballads such as the opening track and “Heaven Passing Through,” it picks up steam as it goes with the foot-stomping call-and-response “Be Here.” There’s no appearance by recurring characters Lorrie and Jimmy, but “Ruby Ann” presents a new storyline. “What Was Advertised” is another cut not to be overlooked.

A popular Turnpike Troubadours song is “Before the Devil Knows We’re Dead,” and it’s hard to think “The Devil Plies His Trade” isn’t a continuation of that story. This is one of those albums that just gets better and better with every play-through.

This is the second album since the band’s well-documented collapse half a decade ago when Felker had to take time off to deal with personal demons in the form of a bottle. “Cat in the Rain,” a nod to the classic Ernest Hemingway short story, was the previous album and the first produced by Shooter Jennings.\

Surrounding Felker on the effort is Kyle Nix, whose fiddle drives so many songs; Hank Early on steel guitar (as well as banjo and accordion); Ryan Engleman on guitar; and R.C. Edwards on bass. Nix and Edwards also have co-writing credits on the album.

Price of Admission solidifies that Turnpike is back and at just a month out from release is being called by many critics one of the band’s best efforts. Fans new to the group will find it an easy and addictive entry into the band and perhaps the genre of “red dirt country” as well. It will be one of the top albums of 2025 in all of country music and American and bluegrass lovers will find a place for it as well.