The two hundred first album: #201 James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
The country track that leads off the album seems to set up what follows - country folk with some rock influences, but sticking to that sound. It veers - sometimes poppier, sometimes more of a blues, but there's a country sound underneath it all. It probably works best for me when it's not aiming for pure country, but brings out a good folk ballad - the more traditional country sound doesn't work for me that well, but there are some good variations on the theme that especially appeal to me.
For song writing, it feels like Sunny Skies' message is where it really starts off, a gentle, poppy sound that doesn't go too light with darker lyrics. It's not entirely contradictory, but there's enough of a contrast to set a tone and mood. The shift from Oh, Susannah to Suzanne in Fire and Rain's first verse is also oddly effective, linking the two in a way that might not have been intended, but makes the punch of her loss more effective, leading into a sadder song. On a similar, thought not quite as impactful note, the Suite for 20G that finishes the album transitions through this variety well and it works, a mixture of rock and ballads where all of them sound quite good but there's also a clear flow between them. It's a good album - when it gets the right songs in.