Category Archives: Reviews

Album Review: Aubrie Sellers–Far From Home

Rating: 6.5/10

“I beat my own damn drum, stick out like a sore thumb,” Aubrie Sellers declares on the closing song of her latest album, called “One Town’s Trash.” Truer words were never spoken, as sellers embraces a sound she calls “garage country,” a blending of traditional country themes and sensibilities with garage rock instrumentation. 2016’s New City Blues was an excellent showcase of this style and of Sellers. But it’s a stretch to call most of this new record garage country at all; it’s basically garage rock with a twangy singer and some country textures. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing, and Far From Home is certainly not a bad record, but the style can be overwrought, and it’s a little disappointing after the stellar New City Blues.

However, there’s quite a lot that this album gets exactly right. The garage country approach really enhances some of these tracks, and where it works, it’s excellent to see Aubrie Sellers confidently leaning into her own sound and writing songs that best capture it. “Worried Mind” is the best example of this, where sellers sings of depression and anxiety, and the restless, moody guitars accentuating the song add something darker to the track and further illustrate the turmoil in Sellers’ mind. “Drag you Down” is just simply a jam, and the hard-charging guitars really add to this one also, as Aubrie sings of dragging some poor soul down with her into the depths of misery and despair. This is an extremely catchy track and one that would probably do well on radio if there was any semblance of justice in the format. “Going Places” provides a spacey moment where the style paints a nice picture of the endless rambling described in the song. These three tracks are sequenced together in the heart of the album and collectively provide the strongest showcase of garage country and what makes Aubrie Sellers stick out proudly like a sore thumb.

But too often, the style is just simply overdone. “Lucky Charm” is another catchy number with a smart hook, but it’s unnecessarily weighed down by overproduction. “Glad” has a similar issue; it’s got a great premise, as Sellers sings of being happy that her ex broke her heart because she doesn’t have to go on loving him blindly while he’s being unfaithful, but it’s just too messy to really work. “Drag You Down” works so much better with its tighter arrangement, and “Glad” would have been a standout if they weren’t trying to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix. “Troublemaker” would have also packed more of a punch if the band didn’t just totally disintegrate into a chaotic mess as the song comes to a close. That was probably the intended point, given the title of the song, but the fact is that it just makes the track sound cluttered. But the biggest problem with the garage country approach is not really with one song; rather, it’s that by the end of the record, the sound is a little stale, and you feel a bit exhausted after the continuous assault on your ears by all this distortion and grit. They went all in with this sound, and credit to Aubrie Sellers for knowing who she is and sticking to that, and to Frank Liddell for helping her vision come to life, but too often, it’s at the expense of Sellers herself. Inasmuch as this works so well on certain tracks to make Sellers stand out from the crowd, just as often it works against her and distracts from her talent as a vocalist and as a songwriter.

This is made even more apparent by the few times where this record holds back. Some of the best songs of Far From Home come when the production is restrained, and Aubrie’s voice soars to the forefront. The title track opens the album with a fairly sparse, atmospheric approach and makes this simple song about feeling lost and out of place in this world the crown jewel of the whole record. “Run,” although it could have perhaps been helped by another verse to tie everything together, sees sellers in a vulnerable moment of self-reflection, and scaling the production back was the right call here also. “Haven’t Even Kissed me Yet” does go for an extended guitar solo to close the song, but it comes naturally after building throughout, and the vocals are kept front and center, allowing Aubrie sellers to deliver a heartfelt, beautiful vocal performance. But it’s moments like these that serve to make the cluttered, overproduced material all the more frustrating; it feels like this would have been a great record if it were handled with a little more care.

This album is a case where many of the individual songs are better than the sum of their parts. AS a 46-minute exhibition of garage country, it can just be tiring. But when the best moments are isolated, there are some fine tracks here. Aubrie Sellers is an incredible vocalist, and it’s a shame that some of this is ignored on her sophomore effort in lieu of elevating her sound. It’s not a bad album, but it feels like a missed opportunity to be a great one. And it’s not the garage country style itself that makes it disappointing; indeed, tracks like “Worried Mind” prove that this style can be really interesting and unique. It’s the pursuit of being different at the expense of everything else which ultimately makes this record fall short of what it could be. Hopefully, Aubrie sellers can find the right balance on her next project, a balance between the style that makes her unique and the voice that makes her special. When she achieves that balance, as she does in flashes on this record, she achieves something original and exciting and fresh, both inside the country space and for music in general.

Buy the Album

Album Review: The SteelDrivers–Bad For You

Rating: 8.5/10

So let’s talk about the elephant in the room here, the obvious comparisons of the SteelDrivers’ new lead singer, Kelvin Damrell, to their former frontman Chris Stapleton. Personally, I thought I could listen to this record without that elephant being an issue, as I had only heard one song by this band with Stapleton–and none with their last frontman, Gary Nichols, for that matter. Then I put on this record and heard the voice of Kelvin Damrell belting out with grit and soul and untamed passion on the opener and title track, and from the first notes, I knew ignoring the Stapleton comparisons would in fact be a sheer impossibility; it sounds as if this guy, who was discovered by a happy accident on YouTube, was sent to the SteelDrivers from some sort of secret Chris Stapleton cloning factory where they’re working to mass produce one of the greatest voices in modern country music.

The band simply will not escape this comparison, and indeed, it’s hard to say if they even want to escape it. But for this listener, the Stapleton resemblance soon became secondary to the album itself because by the third track, I had to admit the inevitable truth, that with all love and respect to Chris Stapleton, Kelvin Damrell is better, especially for this band, with more passion and inflection and a little more sensitivity to the lyrics, providing the same soulful tones that we all love about his predecessor but somehow having a bit more of a sense about when to hold back that vocal power in exchange for raw expressions of emotion. It will be a matter of personal taste as to whether you prefer Damrell or Stapleton, but Kelvin Damrell has proven that he should at least be evaluated on his own merits, and that however similar to Stapleton he may sound in tone, his vocal choices and delivery set him apart–and besides, being compared vocally to Chris Stapleton is one of the highest praises any singer, country or otherwise, can hope to receive these days. So let’s move on from the elephant and discuss the album itself.

And this album is just so good for the soul. It’s great to hear the country genre being carried forward respectfully in more modern ways, and you certainly don’t always need banjo and fiddle to make a country song, but damn it, sometimes it’s just comforting to hear these instruments proudly in the mix, and the picking of Richard Bailey and fiddling of Tammy Rodgers serve as a nice cure for the drum machines and electronic sounds ailing country music in 2020. And although this is bluegrass music and respectful to the roots of that genre, it’s imbibed with soul and blues and instilled with a youth and energy which sets the SteelDrivers apart from so many other bluegrass bands. It’s also more lyrically focused than most bluegrass, making it much closer to its country music cousin. No disrespect to other cool bluegrass bands like the Infamous Stringdusters, whose every record is a statement of pure instrumental impressiveness, but the SteelDrivers are more concerned with the mood of these songs and with framing the instrumentation to fit the lyrics; they’re just being themselves, but consequently, this is an album perhaps more accessible than many in this subgenre and a good introduction for your country detractor friends into the world of bluegrass.

AS for the lyrics themselves, self-condemnation and sorrow run heavily through this record. These themes are present in the opener and title track, as the narrator calmly warns a woman to stay far away from him, reflecting ruefully, “ain’t it kind of me to tell you the truth.” There’s the bartender attempting to justify himself in the track of the same name by declaring, “Some may call me a sinner, but when it’s all said and done, I don’t pull the trigger, i just load the gun.” There’s unbridled heartache in “Falling Man,” brought to life by the raw emotion of Kelvin Damrell’s vocals and set off expertly by the sorrowful licks of the fiddle and banjo. It all seems to culminate in the brooding “Innocent Man,” set in a haunting minor key and seeing the narrator ruminating on the crime he committed. He’ll never get caught, but he’ll have to live with the decision for the rest of his life, and that’s almost worse than prison. There are a few lightweight tracks lyrically, but overall, the songwriting is a strength. There could be a bit more depth in places, but these lighter moments are generally lively and infectious and serve to brighten up the somber atmosphere a little.

This is a fine album and a welcome return for the SteelDrivers. It’s a great mix of beautiful bluegrass instrumentation and heartfelt songwriting, all infused with the blues and soul of Kelvin Damrell to create something really unique. On a personal note, it’s been quite awhile since i have had the motivation or inspiration to write about anything, and it’s wonderful to have such a great record to start all this anew. The year is young, but Bad for You has the kind of replay value that will give it staying power, and it may well be in the conversation when the endless 2020 lists start pouring in come December. Go give it a listen, and if you’re new to bluegrass, you may find this record a warm, wonderful welcome into another beautiful corner of our beloved country music.

Buy the Album

Song Review: “White River” by Kaitlin butts

Rating: 9/10

Oklahoma singer/songwriter Kaitlin Butts has been on Country exclusive’s radar since her incredible 2016 Medicine Stone set. She’s been killing it live there each year since, but we haven’t gotten much new music from her since her 2015 debut album, Same Hell, Different Devil. We finally have a new single from her in the form of “White river,” and this is Kaitlin Butts putting all the raw energy she injects into her live performances into a studio recording, creating the best song she’s yet released.

The song itself fits into a category we’ve seen become nearly cliché over the past decade, the subgenre of tracks about women killing abusers. These songs can be great, but they need something to make them stand out as unique, and Butts sets “White river” apart by not being the victim seeking revenge, but rather the loved one, most likely the daughter, of the victim, who finally seeks justice in order to rescue the one she loves from the violence. The hook is also smart, as the murder occurs on the White river; “that was the night the White river turned red.”

Kaitlin Butts does an excellent job here writing a song to fit her incredible range. Her vocal ability is often showcased in her live performances, but until now, no studio recording has really shown off her voice, and that’s a strength she should display more in her songwriting. This song does a nice job of balancing smart writing with chilling vocal delivery, and the production works well also, sparse in the beginning to highlight the vocals but building in intensity throughout the song to support the darkness of the narrative. The instrumentation features a nice mix of steel and electric guitar to complete what is simply a fine piece of music.

Kaitlin Butts is a name you should keep your eye on, and “White river” is the most promising single she has released so far. Hopefully, we’ll be getting some more new music from her very soon.

Written by: Kaitlin Butts, Oran Thornton, Jared Hicks

Album Review: Jade Bird (self-titled)

Rating: 10/10

For lovers of the folk rock side of Americana, passionate and thought-provoking songwriting, and/or rich, unique vocal quality, meet Jade Bird, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from the UK who has just released the best album of the year so far. Continuing the excellent trend led by Charles Wesley Godwin and Emily Scott Robinson, Jade Bird has released an incredible debut, showcasing nothing but promise for her future and hopefully introducing many more years of strong output.

Sonically, this album can be a little difficult to pin down. It’s not quite country, for the traditionalists out there, but it fits squarely in Americana and features some acoustic songs and piano ballads that most closely resemble folk, country’s introspective cousin. But it doesn’t fall into the trap of sleepy, introverted Americana either; Jade balances the softer stuff well with edgier rock songs and an angst reminiscent of Alanis Morissette on Jagged Little Pill.

Vocal ability is always welcome in folk and Americana, and Jade Bird delivers this in spades. There’s a little of the aforementioned Morissette in her voice, and perhaps some Amanda Shires, particularly as Shires sounded on her latest incredible record. But Bird’s uniqueness sets her apart from these artists and really from everyone, and she also shows an awareness of her strengths, the care and ability to write songs that best showcase her incredible voice. There’s a little rasp in her voice that only increases as she reaches for higher notes, and she writes to take full advantage of this. It’s almost as if ‘Lottery” were written especially to test the limits of her vocal power, and she passes the test beautifully. Few vocalists can sing a sustained chorus at the very reaches of their range like this, but even fewer can sing the same chorus with measured intensity and yet still keep the same grit, as Jade manages to do on the last, quieter chorus of this song.

Lyrically, this album is fascinating. Most of this focuses on the dual personalities of relationships, the endless cycle between happiness and heartbreak, and the way the two can exist almost simultaneously. “One minute I love you, and the next it’s all in ruins,” she sings on the opener, aptly titled “Ruins.” Bird says she almost named this album after the song “Love Has All Been done Before,” and it would have been perfect because that track sums everything up; it’s the jaded feeling of not even wanting to start a new relationship and be in love because the inevitable end is already in sight. “17,” a beautiful piano ballad that shows Bird restraining her voice to deliver something heartfelt and sad, also takes this approach; she pushes her partner away because she’s afraid he’ll “just get up and leave,” and her heart won’t be able to take it. And “My Motto” sees her literally repeating to herself not to trust and let people in because it can only lead to pain and heartache.

Sometimes this jaded view of love comes out in anger and frustration rather than in hurt. “Uh Huh” and “Good at It” are placed back to back in order to best display this side of heartache. in “Uh Huh,” Bird is telling her ex that his new love is playing him the same way he played her, and her grim satisfaction gives us a glimpse of that Morissette angst. “Good at It” takes the opposite approach, as she’s resentful of the new lover, whom she sarcastically calls a “goddess,” bitterly demanding if this woman is “good at it” because that has to be the reason her ex won’t call her anymore. Bird described this to Apple Music as the feeling that you gave everything to the relationship and the worry that it must be something in the bedroom which is driving him to someone else. That insecurity is taken out in this song as pure anger, and credit again to Bird for writing this in the right key in order for her vocals to be especially intense and outraged.

But it’s not all so jaded and bitter. In fact, two of the album’s strongest moments come when Jade is simply having fun. “Side Effects” is the moment where she gives in for awhile to being in love and feeling free, and the driving guitars really add to this song about running away together. There’s an almost 80’s rock flavor to this which would be great to see Bird exploring more on future projects. The other fun moment is again dripping with angst and sarcasm, but “Going Gone” is very obviously delivered with humor, and you can just tell Jade is having the time of her life singing it. This one is about her drunken boyfriend who talks a lot of shit about himself in the pubs but in the end still lives with his mom and doesn’t own a car. This one has instant replay value. Another impressive note; Jade wrote this song when she was only fourteen years old.

The album closer departs from this theme of love and heartbreak, but perhaps the most impressive song on a record full of impressive songs is “If I Die.” This one features simply a piano and Jade’s vocals, and it’s a song to her mother, to give her strength if Bird should pass away. It’s filled with emotion and perfect for her voice, an outstanding way to end the album.

This is an incredible, fascinating record, and it’s almost unbelievable that it’s her debut full-length album. On a site called Country exclusive, this album probably won’t be for everyone, leaning more to the folk rock-Americana end of the spectrum. But it’s excellently written, with thoughtful songwriting wrapped in accessible hooks and melodies, and delivered with exceptional vocal ability and passion. It’s simply an album for fans of good music. Hopefully, this is just the beginning, and we’ll be talking about Jade Bird for years to come.

Buy the Album

Collaborative Album Review: Molly Tuttle–When You’re Ready

Rating: 7/10

I collaborated with The Musical Divide on the debut album from Molly Tuttle, a gifted bluegrass instrumentalist who has released a record blending those influences with folk pop and Americana to create something unique and promising. Check out the full review here!

Collaborative Album Review: Molly Tuttle – When You’re Ready