2. DORI FREEMAN (self-titled)

Reminiscent of old timey Americana music, one would be hard pressed to believe that this album came out of nowhere in 2016. Variably described as folk, country, traditional and bluegrass, Freeman's style is all of the above and none of the above. Hailing from Virginia, she came from a musical family and had begun singing and playing guitar at a young age. This debut album had already started generating buzz before it even came out, with mentions by Rolling Stone, NPR, the New York Times among others.