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Reviews

Album Review: Pistol Annies–Interstate Gospel

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Rating: 7/10

It’s been a long five years since the last Pistol Annies album, enough time for each of the Annies to record two solo projects of their own. The Annies are good for the mainstream, and it’s great to see them return, for country music in general as well as for the fans who have been starved for new material for so long. As for Interstate Gospel, it’s not as immediately or as inherently captivating as the group’s first two records, but these songs grow on you and get better with each new listen, revealing subtleties that weren’t as often present on their previous efforts.

The instrumentation is definitely better on this album. “Got my Name Changed Back” offers extended dobro and electric guitar solos, and “Sugar Daddy” takes a long time getting to the point with drums and bluesy guitar licks before Miranda Lambert ever sings the opening note. The title track is also a standout instrumentally, with the piano unleashed to add to the gospel feel of the song. It feels like some of the polish from their previous records was abandoned, and that really suits all of the Annies, especially Ashley Monroe, whose voice soars on these songs and reminds us again that much of the production of Sparrow just wasn’t flattering to her at all.

The songwriting is definitely a strength of this album. Sometimes it’s in a clever one-liner like “even old Moses was a basket case” or “Jesus is the bread of life, without Him you’re toast,” both in the title track. There’s the irony in “Best Years of my Life” which perfectly illustrates the plight of this character–these are supposed to be her best years, filled with love and happiness, but instead she spends her days bored and getting drunk or high to “try to drown this worthlessness.” And the honesty in the writing is unflinching, from the portrait of the character in “Cheyenne,” burned by love and coldhearted as a result, spending her nights in bars and casually breaking men’s hearts, to the grim self-reflection in “Milkman”–“If Mama would have loved the milkman, maybe she wouldn’t judge me.” “Masterpiece” is beautiful melodically and lyrically, and the Annies made a smart decision by having Miranda Lambert sing lead for the entire song, as her emotion is pouring out in every syllable. You can sense that this track, like several others on the record, is indeed very personal to Lambert.

It’s hard to say whether this is a feature or a flaw, but this album does feel more Lambert-influenced than their first two. It suits these songs, for this record feels very much like Miranda’s story, or at least a story that started as hers and became something relatable to the others as well. But there’s also something special about the songs where all three women sing a verse, where there’s no true lead, and the selections feel unlike anything we would get from any of their solo albums. If you were hoping for more from Presley or Monroe, you might be a little disappointed by Interstate Gospel. But it’s hard to second-guess the decisions when Miranda Lambert turns in performances like “Masterpiece” and “Cheyenne,” bearing her heart on her sleeve for us all to hear.

This showcasing of Lambert, however, can contribute to some vocal issues as well, particularly from Angaleena Presley. The harmonies are beautiful as always, but Presley sounds checked out on much of her solo parts, with the exception being her lovely performance of “5 Acres of Turnips.” This song doesn’t really feel like it fits the narrative of the album, but it’s a great track and certainly Presley’s strongest. Maybe it’s her strongest simply because it doesn’t fit the narrative and isn’t part of Lambert’s story first. Angaleena also sounds like she’s having fun on the title track, and this one is helped along by Monroe and mostly by the vibrant, energetic instrumentation behind them.

As for Ashley Monroe, the only song where she takes the lead is “Leavers Lullaby,” and honestly, I’m just not sure what to make of this. It’s overproduced and one instance where there’s definitely too much polish. That said, the songwriting is great, and she sings it beautifully; it’s just a shame that it ends so quickly. This is her only lead song, and it feels far too short. There certainly could have been another verse, and there absolutely could have been more Ashley Monroe on this album. That said, she shines on so many of her verses, perhaps most notably in “Best Years of my Life.”

This record doesn’t immediately grab you in the same way as the Annies’ first two, brimming with humor and fun and badass personas. That’s still a part of the record; in fact, “Sugar Daddy” is basically “Hell on Heels” 2.0. But this is a more mature, thoughtful album from the group, taking more time to reveal its beauty but offering some of the best material from the Annies so far. There are some vocal issues, and often, this album feels more like a Miranda Lambert breakup record helped along by her sisters than anything, but sometimes, that kind of kinship produces the best and most honest reflections. Not necessarily the album we may have been expecting from the Pistol Annies, but a strong one and a solid addition to their discography.

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Reviews

Song Reviews: The Three New Pistol Annies Tracks

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I think I speak for all Pistol Annies fans out there when I say that new music from them has been long overdue. We’ve been waiting anxiously while the group hinted for months about a new album. Finally, they’ve given us three new songs at once, and their third album, Interstate Gospel, will grace our presence on November 2nd. I will say that while country radio is inevitably going to ignore whichever song they ultimately choose as a single–because let’s face it, it’s three women singing country which doesn’t belong anywhere near mainstream country radio–it would be nice if the label actually did choose a dedicated single and at least give it a shot and adequate promotion. But let’s get to the music.

All three tracks were written by Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley.

“Got My Name Changed Back”

This is just great, a fun, catchy song about freedom after getting divorced. It’s refreshing to hear a song like this where the result of the divorce is happiness, as opposed to loneliness and regret. There’s a stigma surrounding failed marriages, and it’s nice to hear Miranda Lambert singing about it positively. She leads this track, with some backing “yeah yeahs” by her fellow Annies. That part can be a bit overdone, but equally, it will add to this live, and it makes this one probably the most likely to have any semblance of a shot at radio.

The best thing about this one is the sound. The annies simultaneously display more of a rock edge and more twang than on their previous efforts. We have solos for the dobro and the electric guitar, showcasing more of a rootsy sound while also embracing a rougher quality. Their sound, on this one as well as the others, appears more defined and unique. It seems to take away a little of the underlying polish from their last two records, leaving the instrumentation more uninhibited.

Probably my favorite of the three, but maybe not the best one to make new Annies fans, as it’s thematically much like a Miranda solo song and features her primarily vocally.

Rating: 8/10

“Interstate Gospel”

The title track primarily features Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. This provides a nice contrast to the Miranda Lambert led “Name Changed Back,” and it was a smart decision to release both of them, giving listeners a taste of all three singers’ voices. This one again showcases that raw, rootsy sound, with prominent acoustic guitar and twangy piano. It’s also excellent to hear Ashley Monroe not sounding so polished and proper after her last solo album; this is the sound that suits her voice, and it further proves the point that most of Sparrow wasn’t flattering to her traditional country voice.

Lyrically, this is the most lightweight of the three; most of the story here is in the instrumentation and mood. It’s just a rambling song infused with the spirit of the highway, and it will probably be better judged in the context of the album. Personally, I would not choose it as a lead single because there’s not really a strong hook. It’s fun and catchy like “Name Changed Back,” but it will shine better in album context than it does on its own.

Solid track, but the least impressive of the three.

Rating: hesitant 7/10

“Best Years of my Life”

Here, we have a lovely ballad, a good contrast thematically and lyrically to the attitude in the first two songs. This one features all three Annies prominently, and for me, this is when the group is at their best vocally, something independent from any of their solo work and special for its own reasons. The narrator here is a bored housewife, typical of many Pistol Annies songs; this woman is taking pills and getting high to pass the time, staying married to a man whom she says “don’t love me, but he ain’t gone yet.” she calls her mom to say she’s all right, and ironically says, “these are the best years of my life.” The subtlety in that irony is unique to country music and a great example of clever songwriting.

Speaking of songwriting, there’s a weird line at the beginning of this song where basically, Ashley Monroe tries to squeeze in as many syllables as possible with: “I picked a good day for a recreational Percocet.” When I first heard it, I was a bit annoyed and thrown off by the rhythm and pentameter, and then the weird lines continued in Presley’s and Lambert’s verses, and by the time I’d heard it three times, I got used to it, and it became part of the song’s charm. but I’ve noticed that people either tend to love or hate this little quirk, as it can be quite distracting.

Well-written, sentimental track, and the best display of all three singers’ voices and harmonies.

Rating: 8/10

In short, all these tracks hold promise for the upcoming album. Now can November 2nd please get here so we can hear the rest?

Playlists

My Top Thirteen Songs of 2018 so Far

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Editor’s Note: These are not ranked in any particular order, and all songs have been reviewed or featured in some way, whether in Memorable songs or on one of our playlists, by Country Exclusive. Please respect this list for what it is–one person’s opinion, and an outlet for sharing good music. That said, feel free and encouraged to share your favorite songs of the year so far in the comments below!
And don’t ask why I picked thirteen, some things should remain a mystery.

Anderson East: “Cabinet Door”

From Encore, featured on our January playlist

This was the first song to blow me away in 2018, and yes, hopefully I will review this album at some point. This is the tale of a man whose wife of fifty-two years has passed away; he’s left lost and alone trying to pick up the pieces, and he’s talking to her about everything he misses, and everything that hasn’t been right since she’s been gone. It’s just an incredible song of love and loss, and it’s impossible not to feel something when you hear it.

Caitlyn Smith: “This Town is Killing Me”

From Starfire

What an honest, bittersweet, heartbreaking story of an artist’s struggles in Nashville, the things they’ll give up and go through in order to chase that dream, and the reasons it’s worth it. Caitlyn Smith is a world-class vocalist, and she’s known for belting and displaying her incredible range, but it’s a song like this, where her emotions are laid bare before us, that really sets her apart and makes her special. An artist with this much talent shouldn’t be struggling for a second in Music City, but it’s the hardship that led to this poignant, beautiful song.

Mike & the Moonpies: “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose”

From Steak Night at the Prairie Rose

Maybe it’s the relationship I have with my dad, or maybe it’s the stories of chasing his dreams of music, or perhaps it’s just a damn good song, but I think “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose” has been really underrated as a song in 2018. Just a simple tribute to his father and to music that should just be heard. Also, love that organ.

Wade Bowen: “Day of the Dead”

From Solid Ground

An underrated song from an underrated album. Putting some really cool Mexican influence in his Texas country, Wade sings of a man who’s run off to Mexico during the Day of the dead on his ex’s wedding day. It uses some interesting metaphors for the death of their love, and it’s one where the melody, instrumentation, and lyrics all work together to create a really great piece of music.

Courtney Patton: “Round Mountain”

From What it’s Like to Fly Alone

As I said recently on Twitter, here’s a song that blows me away every time I hear it. A beautifully crafted narrative of a woman who married young and felt trapped by her life and family–she made mistakes and eventually abandoned them, and the beauty here is that she’s neither apologetic for her actions nor unaware of what she’s done and the people she’s hurt. Also, there’s an overdose of lovely fiddle.

Courtney Marie Andrews: “Took You Up”

From May Your Kindness Remain

An incredibly moving love song that reminds us the best things in life are free. What a world it would be if we could all learn to embrace life like the lovers in this song. Also, Courtney Marie Andrews absolutely sings the hell out of this.

Red Shahan: “Waterbill”

From Culberson County

And for those of you who don’t think fun songs can be on these lists, I present Red Shahan’s “Waterbill,” the best album opener of the year so far and an absolutely fun, infectious tune that’s been one of my most played in 2018. It’s also got one of the best lyrics this year with: “you ain’t livin’ unless you’re livin’ life broke.” It’s impossible not to smile when you hear this song.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: “New Ways to Fail”

From Years

Another fun tune, and probably the most honest, relatable song you’ll hear for a long while. I can’t say anything else about this, I can just assure you that you’ve felt like this at some point in your life, and that relatability is what makes a great country song.

John Prine: “Lonesome Friends of Science”

From The Tree of Forgiveness

John Prine is a songwriter like no other, and we’re blessed to still be getting great, thoughtful songs from him at this stage of his life. He can create empathy for anyone or anything, even “poor planet Pluto,” who was demoted and uninvited by the other planets, as he explains in this song. And what a great way to live, thinking it doesn’t matter if the whole world ends today because this place is not really your home.

Ashley Monroe: “Orphan”

From Sparrow

Overall, I did not care for the overly polished sounds on Ashley Monroe’s latest effort, but this autobiographical sketch of an orphan is beautiful, and it’s made even better by the lovely strings supporting it. This is a story only Ashley Monroe can deliver, and it might be the best song of her career thus far.

Old Crow Medicine Show: “Look Away”

From Volunteer

In a world where Southern culture is being forsaken and eradicated at an alarming rate, “Look Away” uses lines from “Dixie” and embraces everything that is good and cherished about the South. This is a five-minute case for why Southerners still have things to be proud of, and why so many people embrace this land and its rich heritage.

American Aquarium: “One Day at a Time”

From Things Change

The best songs come from a place of honesty, the ability to release a part of your soul out into your music. BJ Barham gives us that in “One Day at a Time,” detailing his journey getting sober. And “you see the man left holding the pen controls how every story ends, and truth becomes a martyr for the sake of the song”–that line is just brilliant.

Jason Boland & the Stragglers: “Hard Times are Relative”

From Hard Times are Relative

The first time I heard this, I declared it the best song of the year so far. I don’t know how that will hold up, but this is an excellently crafted story song and a reminder to us that when we think our lives are tough, these people in times past had it far worse.

Honorable Mentions

  • Blackberry Smoke: “I’ve Got This Song”
  • Brent Cobb: “Come Home Soon”
  • Ashley McBryde: “Livin’ Next to Leroy”
  • Courtney Marie Andrews: “Border”
  • Kayla Ray: “Rockport”
  • Brandi Carlile: “The Mother”
  • Dierks Bentley ft. Brandi Carlile: “Travelin’ Light”
Commentary

Walking the Line Between Being a Critic and a Music Fan

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This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile, but which was most recently inspired by Zack, of about a thousand outlets but currently of The Singing Wilderness, as one of his main focuses there, after being more of a “critic” with The Musical Divide, is now to step back and be a “music fan.” It’s a question I’ve thought about at different times and once felt it was a difficult line to walk, and it’s probably different for each reviewer/critic/blogger/etc., but for me, I think the key is to be both. I don’t think they have to be separate, and indeed, separating them results in dishonest, unhelpful criticism.

There is a statement on our About page specifically saying I am not a critic with ideas of what country “should” sound like, but rather a music fan disheartened by the lack of substance and country sound in the country genre. Although that was written in 2015, and my thoughts about the genre thing have changed quite a bit, the point is still the same. I am a music fan, and that’s what prompted me to begin this journey. I was a disenchanted country fan, and I was discovering all these cool underground/independent artists that needed more attention, that needed to be exposed to people like me who felt they were losing the music they loved. It’s as a fan that I was disheartened by Zac Brown’s change of direction on Jekyll + Hyde, and as a fan that I was comforted by the sound of him returning the band to their roots on Welcome Home but was ultimately underwhelmed by it. It’s as an unapologetic Ashley Monroe fan that I can say Sparrow is a disappointing album because the problems can be summed up in the fact that the style doesn’t flatter the Ashley Monroe we’ve all come to love.

It’s also as a music fan that I wrote about the latest Brothers Osborne album–I can see the criticisms with it in a technical sense, and I could have written a review like that, but it wouldn’t have been an honest assessment of my thoughts on the music. I love that record, and even now, I’m wondering why I gave it an 8.5 only when I can see nothing wrong with it as a listener. It will be one of my most played albums of the year, and if I’d been totally honest with myself, I would have rated it even higher. Honesty is the bedrock upon which Country Exclusive was founded–because traditional country, pop country, Texas country, Americana, all of them lack a shocking amount of honesty right now–and that was one time I didn’t follow my own advice completely. But ratings are nothing more than a helpful tool anyway, and my review reflects how I felt; I love that album despite the technical flaws that exist. We should all strive to write as music fans first because it makes us more honest, it reflects a true diversity in opinions about music, and it’s boring to live in an echo chamber. It makes a “critical consensus” more impressive if we seek to write and review this way because if we all end up agreeing, we know the music has to be incredible, rather than knowing we all agree because of some ill-conceived mindset where we feel like we have to do so and share the exact opinions of everyone else.

That said, why does writing or talking about music as a fan need to be different from being a critic? Whether we write a lengthy review or record a YouTube reaction, or whether we just sit down and listen to an album as a fan of good music, we’re all critics in a sense. Yes, we’re all critics, you read that right. When you put in the aforementioned Ashley Monroe record and think, “I don’t like this polish,” whether you write down a thousand-word review on it or not, you’ve made a critical assessment about that album. This goes back to the recent article about reviews and artist’s mental health, and the ultimate reason that article is ridiculous is that everyone listens to music with a critical ear. We all gravitate toward certain sounds and styles, and none of us think everything is good or enjoyable. If we eliminate critical reviews, all we’re doing is lying to ourselves because music fans are making critical decisions on their own just by listening. Not everyone is ever going to like everything you record, and music criticism by reviewers is simply a more in-depth opinion given by one listener. The value of criticism itself is something I could write a whole other piece on, but the tag line of this blog best illustrates it–“the most destructive criticism is indifference.” The worst criticism you can give art is to ignore it, especially in today’s cluttered marketplace, and moreover, calling everything good and giving participation trophies only creates an echo chamber where nothing is praised and rewarded for its quality–the other half of this quote, originally from RC Edwards, was, “that’s a recipe for bad art” in response to a tweet that condemned negativity in reviews. Again, that’s a different tangent entirely, but the truth is that we’re all critical of music if we’re listening to it beyond meaningless, disposable background noise and treating it like the wonderful art form that it is, and to deny that reality is a lie and cheapens the value of music.

Writing and talking about music, though, does tend to make you a more open-minded listener and a better critic, or at least it should. It broadens your perspective and allows you to see what others see in things, even if you can’t see those things yourself. It allows you to go from, “I don’t like this polish” on Ashley Monroe’s record to really understanding why you don’t; it’s as a fan that I can say it doesn’t suit Ashley Monroe, and as a critic that I can understand the appeal for some–the songwriting on that record is superb, and if you’re a fan of the style, you might really enjoy it. It’s as a fan that Brandi Carlile’s latest hasn’t held up for me, but as an open-minded critic/reviewer that I can see its appeal. As a music fan, Gretchen Peters’ latest album is too depressing for me, but there’s not much inherently “wrong” with it. It will end up being featured in Memorable Songs because I have nothing to say as a reviewer other than, “this album depresses the ever-loving hell out of me,” but I can understand how many would love it, especially if they’re in the right mindset. Critic and music fan are really just two sides of the same coin–if I write a glowing review about Peters because I feel like I have to, it’s not honest and erodes my integrity, but if I write a scathing indictment about how it’s bad because it depresses me, this is unfair to the quality of the art, as well as to the people who may really enjoy this. I said I wanted to use this outlet to promote deserving artists, and if I exclude Brandi Carlile and Gretchen Peters from this because of a matter of taste, that makes me nothing more than a fan promoting my favorite artists.

At the end of the day, we all became reviewers/critics because we were music fans. We’d have to be in order to have any desire to listen to all this music, much less to write about it or talk about it at length. If you lose sight of that as a critic, you need to step back and think about who you are as a listener and why you’re doing this in the first place. At the same time, as fans, we are all automatically critics, and this is displayed in our tastes in vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, or which of those elements matters to us most when we listen to a piece of music. We cannot be one without the other, and this is how we should talk about music. If you can’t admit to liking something despite its flaws or what the rest of the echo chamber thinks, you’ve lost sight of the love for music and the unique perspective your opinions bring to the table. If you’re so close-minded that you can’t see past your own perspective and can only view music through the narrow lens of your personal tastes, then you’ve lost sight of the value of music and its ability to touch different people in so many different ways. I used to think that being a critic and being a music fan were different, that you could choose to write or talk about music in one way or the other, and that it could be a hard line to walk. But the truth is that they go hand in hand, and only when you realize that can you be both completely honest and open-minded as a listener, and really, that’s the ultimate goal with all of this, to become better music listeners. It’s not about being a critic versus being a music fan, it’s about being yourself, which is ultimately both, and doing this for the love of the music.

Playlists

April Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music

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April has by far been the busiest month in terms of releases that this site has seen since it began–well, March 30th really began it all with one of the best release days in this site’s history, and then nothing has slowed down since. It’s no surprise that April was also by far our most viewed month ever, and if you’ve first found us in April, I thank you. If you couldn’t keep up with releases, I don’t blame you, and this list is for you. Whereas past months have seen me wondering if we’d have enough good music to fill the playlist, this was the first time I’ve actually cut songs from one because so much good music came out. We’ve got Southern rock from Blackberry Smoke, classic country from Joshua Hedley, Willie Nelson and John Prine proving age is irrelevant when making good music, and some solid mainstream cuts from Jason Aldean and Brothers Osborne. Three of my favorite songs of the year so far are on this list in “Look Away” from Old Crow Medicine Show, “Orphan” from Ashley Monroe, and “New Ways to Fail” from Sarah Shook & the Disarmers. What a great time to be alive and be a music fan! As always, and probably more so currently, thank you to Zack for supplying this to the Spotify people.

Apple Music users, you can follow me there via the user name @countryexclusive for this and all our playlists, as well as updates to Saving Country Music’s top 25. For April’s,
Click here

Spotify users, click below.