Best Country Albums of 2008:No. 8

'Coal,' Kathy Mattea

Standout Song: 'The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore'

Mattea and producer Marty Stuart create a masterpiece that mines one of country music's richest song traditions. Mattea's grandfathers both worked in coal, and you can hear its dark tug on her soul when she sings coal classics like 'Dark as a Dungeon,' 'Blue Diamond Mines' and 'Black Lung.'

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