Tag Archives: Courtney Marie Andrews

My Top Thirteen Songs of 2018 so Far

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”

Sarah Shook Makes Perfect Case for the Importance of Vocal Technique

In an interview ahead of Sarah Shook & the Disarmers’ new album, Shook had some interesting things to say about her preparation for this record. She says that she went back and listened to their first album, Sidelong, in an effort to see how she could improve.

It was good, she decided, but knew it could be better. She studied vocal technique so that she could hit notes more accurately while in the studio, changing the way she sings and how she controls her voice. And the difference is palpable. “Even just the control of my voice and the way I sing sounds completely different to me now…I really wanted to be singing my best.”

Indeed, I’d agree with the article that the difference between the two albums is tangible, but I’ll save my comments on that for my review of Years after its release tomorrow. However, the point here is that Sarah Shook recognized the importance of her vocal delivery, counting it just as significant as her songwriting and musicianship, even seeking to improve what she could. Anyone at all familiar with Sarah Shook & the Disarmers knows that hers isn’t a polished or even a pleasant vocal tone, but on this album, the songs seem to work in spite of that. It’s because she worked with what she had. A singer cannot change his or her tone, but other things can be improved, like pitch accuracy and breath control, and Shook understood that and treated her vocals like another necessary part of her craft.

This should be an obvious thing, but it’s something many artists in the independent scenes could take a lesson from, as well as something many critics/reviewers/etc don’t commentate on enough. With tone being something a vocalist has no control over, it’s easy to see why reviewers don’t address vocal issues often, but just like any other instrument, it can be improved. Vivian Leva doesn’t have to add the inflections in her voice that make some of her songs hard to listen to. Bonnie Montgomery’s album would have been better had she studied breath support techniques and given more power to her lyrics, many of which were lyrics that would have been delivered better with a punch. Jade Jackson released a record last year with engaging melodies, great songwriting, and varied instrumentation, and yes, her tone can be off-putting, but she could have gone a long way toward helping that by seeking to improve her pitch accuracy. Anyone who isn’t completely tone deaf can improve these skills. I could list a lot more examples, and indeed, I’ve wanted to write this post for a very long time, just as I wrote one about the lost art of melody writing by independent/Americana songwriters, but until now, I didn’t have an example of someone doing it right, a proof that greater attention to vocals can be felt from project to project. Sarah Shook’s hard work in preparation of this record is that proof, and artists should aspire to this.

As for the reason they’re not aspiring to it more often, I think it goes back to the backlash I talked about in the melody post, as countless reality shows hold up vocal ability as the pinnacle of great musicianship. There was a second-place finisher on American Idol several seasons before its finale that, when recording an original song for her final performance, couldn’t identify a D7 chord when she was asked to sing on it in the studio. This is very basic musical knowledge, and stuff like this is incredibly insulting to musicians and songwriters who make music their life’s work. Although singing is a great talent, it’s sometimes looked upon as somehow secondary in music, particularly when amazing vocalists win these shows and then go on to do nothing whatsoever afterword because they have no knowledge of the business, no experience as a musician, and nothing profound to say as an artist. Artistry is much more than outstanding vocal talent, and these shows are an excellent display of this. It’s understandable, then, that the reaction from the independent scenes is to glorify songwriting and musicianship and hold them up higher than vocal ability. After all, we’re living in the age of the song, and adequate vocals are fine as long as you have something important to say.

But the age of the song shouldn’t mean that we’re not also living in the age of the singer. Think how much more beautiful some of these songs would be if their singers expanded their ranges and thereby could write more interesting melodies. This is why the two issues are interconnected. It’s why Courtney Marie Andrews’ songs are especially poignant; yes, she writes beautifully, but it’s her soaring vocals and the way she handles dynamics and inflections that gives them extra life. “Took You Up” is already a fine song, but it’s excellent because of the way she sings the chorus, her voice soaring for the high notes of “ain’t got much, but we got each other,” and then carefully controlled and subdued for the final, “I took you up,” sustaining the note to create just the right amount of emotion. Emotive interpreting and vocal delivery are art forms just like songwriting and musicality, and they should be respected as such.

That’s what Sarah Shook has done here; she’s respected the art of singing. She’s understood that her tone might not be a conventional one to which people would normally gravitate, and she’s done her best to improve what she can. As a vocalist, that’s all you can do; you can’t change the tone and vocal quality God gave you, nor should singers wish to because that’s what makes them unique and distinctive and stand out among the crowd. But the voice is an instrument, and it can be perfected just like any other. Dynamics, breath support, pitch, range, all of these elements can be improved–and as for reviewers, if you can criticize a guitar for being out of tune or being drowned out in the mix, or say electronic drums don’t work on a certain song, then why should you hesitate to share your thoughts on and criticisms of this particular instrument as well?…but I digress. Singers should respect their instrument instead of treating it like some sort of secondary element, simply a vehicle to convey their words. Rather, it should be a vehicle to take their words and transform them into something even more powerful, and when vocalists care about it this way, the results shine regardless of the singer’s tone. Sarah Shook proves that, and many artists could take a lesson from the dedication she’s given to her craft.

March Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music

March didn’t start out strong, and for awhile, I wondered if we’d actually be able to make a worthwhile list at the end of the month. But I held out hope for the later releases, especially the March 30th albums that promised to bring us a ton of great music. And yeah, I needn’t have worried; we were blessed with great music from Courtney Marie Andrews, Kacey Musgraves, Lindi Ortega, Red Shahan, Ashley McBryde…and the list goes on. It’s as good a time as any to check out all of these artists. This has been our most diverse playlist so far, from the traditional, almost bluegrass selection by Vivian Leva to the rock anthems of Red Shahan, so there should truly be something here for everyone. As always, many thanks to Zack for supplying this on Spotify.

Apple Music users can follow me there @countryexclusive for access to all our playlists, as well as updates to the Saving Country Music top 25. For March’s playlist,
Click Here

For Spotify:

The Problem With the Mainstream Media Coverage of Country Music

Well, Kacey Musgrave’s new album has certainly caused a stir.

At this point, I’m sure many of you are tired of the rash of strong, divisive opinions surrounding this project. Was she uniting fans through genre-defying music, or selling out and forsaking sound and substance? Is the album even country, and what is “real country” these days anyway? I’ve already given my thoughts on her album, as well as discussed the entire genre debate in detail with Zack of The Musical divide, and after this, I promise I’ll just shut up and let you all come to your own conclusions about it all. But this portrayal of Golden Hour by mainstream media who are largely ignorant of the country genre as the album of the year, or some forward-thinking opus that’s “so gutsy it’s not even country” has got to be addressed.

It’s not that these non-country writers shouldn’t cover country music; in fact, the country genre gets ignored too much by the mainstream media and is often given only a cursory glance. And it’s not even that media members who are crowning Kacey Musgraves as some sort of queen of country are necessarily writing a false narrative; maybe they believe the things they write, and probably they do, given the lack of knowledge of other artists who are pushing the genre forward right along with Musgraves. And notice I said “right along with,” as opposed to “better than,” because Courtney Marie Andrews and Lindi Ortega and others aren’t doing more for the genre than Kacey Musgraves; rather, they’re all doing it in different ways, and all of it’s working very well. So even though I have a serious problem with the way the mainstream media is praising this album, I don’t think the answer is to pit other artists against each other.

The problem, though, is the underlying message conveyed by these headlines and by these narratives. Kacey’s country album is “so gutsy it’s not even country,” held up as a record that’s so forward-thinking that it’s left the restrictive, claustrophobic nature of country music behind. Musgraves meant to unite with this album and not to divide; she meant to expand her sound and bring country music to listeners who might not otherwise know the genre. She didn’t make this album to cast the bonds of country away, and that’s how it’s being portrayed by some of the media.

This is disrespectful to country as a genre, and this isn’t about traditional versus contemporary, it’s about the fact that it’s considered brave and risk-taking to abandon country altogether. It’s viewed as an inferior art form sonically, and more than that, it’s held up by many as the sound track to backward rural American life. It’s looked down on as the music of rednecks, of racists, of a backward and simple people who need to be brought into the modern world. Obviously, politics drive some of that narrative, and country purists sometimes don’t help the perceptions by putting their own restrictive limits on things, as we discussed in the collaboration, but these are both topics that can wait for another day. The point is, that putting words like “gutsy” and “country” in opposition to one another, as if country can’t earn this distinction on its own merit, is dangerous and derisive to the music we all love.

Does that mean these writers should stop covering country music? absolutely not; rather, it means they should broaden their perspectives and consider other artists. It’s fine to start with big names like Musgraves, and it’s fine if you don’t care for Lindi Ortega’s or Courtney Marie Andrews’ albums as much, but covering them only adds more context and knowledge of the genre. I can write a piece about a pop album; I can even recommend it and say I enjoyed it. But I can’t write with the same expertise and authority of a pop critic, and it’s disrespectful to the art to pretend that I know what I’m talking about if I’ve only listened to three pop records that year. This is the problem with mainstream critics, not that they shouldn’t write about or cover country, but that it should be considered an equal with the other genres of music, an art form to be explored and loved right beside pop or rock or rap. And yet it gets overlooked, except when projects like this come out. And then, instead of letting it be a window to the sounds and stories of country music, they craft narratives around it framing it a some sort of chain-breaking moment for Kacey Musgraves. Let them embrace country music right along with the rest of us, and then if they want to assign all these achievements to Kacey, I will respect their opinions and understand that their views come from a knowledge of the genre and a passion for the music.

That said, it’s not the ignorance of country music which ultimately makes their narrative a problem, it’s that their narrative comes from a place of condescension, a place where the music we love is meant to be cast aside in favor of progressive ideals and sounds. And in framing their opinions this way, they’ve only done a disservice to Kacey Musgraves and Golden Hour, because this is a personal album, meant to bridge gaps, to unite rather than divide, and to open herself up to the world rather than point fingers at judgmental people. Regardless of how you feel about it, it’s meant to bring more people to country music, not to turn them away, and it’s a shame that the media circus surrounding this may ultimately have that effect.

Album Review: Courtney Marie Andrews–May Your Kindness Remain

Rating: 7.5/10

One of my greatest joys in 2016, an intermittent and strange year for Country Exclusive, was the discovery of Courtney Marie Andrews, She’s an artist who could rightly be called more folk rock than country but whose style and songwriting transcend genre classification in the same way of Linda Ronstadt, an artist Andrews channels quite a bit vocally. IN fact, it’s the voice that captures you first with her, some kind of wonderful cross between Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, and something all her own that draws you in and leaves you hanging on every word until you’re also captured by her stories and melodies. As mentioned, 2016 was an odd year for the site and for me personally, and there was a lot of music I heard but just never had the time or energy to review; if I found the strength within myself to write about something that year, many times it was special. Andrews’ album Honest Life blew me away from cover to cover and received one of the few perfect ratings I’ve ever handed down here. So needless to say, I was incredibly excited to hear that she’d be bringing us new music, and while this doesn’t capture me on the level of her previous record, it’s still a pretty solid album from Andrews.

It does take awhile to really hit its stride, though. It’s true that Courtney’s voice is as powerful as ever, and the way she bends syllables to add extra emotion is just fantastic and something that seems to be completely inherent and unique to her as a vocalist. She’s got a knack for writing within the sweet spot of her vocals as well, bringing out high notes that display her raw emotion and intensity. All of that is there from the outset, but the lyrics fall a little short. The title track is the only standout of the first three, with its gentle advice to let our kindness outlive our physical beauty and remain even when our money is gone. This one has some really unnecessary electric guitar in the middle that frankly distracts from it and just seems overdone, but this is still nice lyrically and melodically. You kind of forgive the production choice and hope for a better one on the next song. But “Lift the Lonely from My Heart” and “Two Cold Nights in Buffalo,” though both better in terms of production, just don’t stand out or make much of an impression lyrically. They’re not bad, but they’re not living up to the standard Courtney Marie Andrews has set for herself, and three songs into this record, I am a little disappointed.

That all changes in the heart of the album. Here, Courtney reminds me exactly what she’s capable of with several incredible songs. The piano and heart-wrenching delivery of “Rough Around the Edges” set the backdrop for this tale of a character with whom we can all probably empathize on some days. Andrews’ attention to detail in this song serves to paint a startling picture of a person who’s been hit hard by life and barely hanging on; every line serves a purpose, from the dishes in the sink to the curtains being drawn and the TV constantly being on but not really being watched, to the fact that she doesn’t even feel like answering her phone for anyone today. Courtney’s knack for portraying the downtrodden continues with “Border,” as she sings of a man coming to America for freedom and a new life and reminds us, “you cannot measure a man until you’ve been down the deepest well.” I love the experiments with production they took here, as this one veers toward a more atmospheric rock style that really works for this track. And then “Took You Up” arrives, the definite crown jewel of this album. This again is the story of downtrodden people just trying to get by, but this is a story of love outlasting all and surviving when money is tight and times are hard. Courtney Marie Andrews’ genius vocal ability really adds to this song, as it’s her unique inflections which draw out all the emotion in this simple track. Put this in the hands of another singer, and it’s an average love song, but with Courtney, it’s a gem on this record. “This House” serves as a follow-up to this song, relying on all those details again to paint a portrait of a home filled with laughter and love even if it might not be, to use Courtney’s words, “much of a house.” And for all you strict traditionalists/purists out there, although Courtney Marie’s work does lie more in the folk rock realm, this song is very solidly three-chord country.

The problem with this album, though, is its inconsistency. After these four excellent songs, we have “Kindness of Strangers,” the least memorable thing on the entire project. It still speaks to the lonely and forsaken, saying that some days, it takes the thoughtfulness of strangers just to get by, but in some ways, it’s simply echoing themes that we’ve already heard presented better earlier on the album. “I’ve Hurt Worse” gets us back on track with a sarcastic look at a toxic relationship and how we sometimes love and stay with people we know aren’t right for us because we think we don’t deserve any better. The melody here is absolutely beautiful, and there’s a nice, almost Celtic flavor to the instrumentation. “Long Road Back to You” hearkens back to the themes of distance and coming home to loved ones so often explored on Andrews’ last album, closing the record elegantly.

Overall, this is a solid effort. Its greatest problem is inconsistency because rather than being solid all the way through, it’s a record of highs and lows. When Courtney hits the mark, these songs are incredible. Her gift for portraying and empathizing with the downtrodden is similar to what we saw from Brandi Carlile’s recent album, and her ability as an emotive interpreter is unparalleled. Unfortunately, unlike her last record, this one does have some forgettable moments lyrically. However, even the lesser songs in that respect are elevated by her melodies and especially by her talents as a vocalist, so it’s still a really nice album. Also, I’m probably being a bit unfair to it because I’m judging it at the high standard to which I hold Courtney Marie Andrews, and in that respect, it falls a little short. But this is still a good record with some standout songs, and many will find a lot to enjoy here.

Buy the Album