Tag Archives: traditional country

Reviews

Album Review: Trixie Mattel–One Stone

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Rating: 7.5/10

Rich O’Toole said yesterday (3/28) on Twitter that “the problem with country music right now is that people are listening with their eyes.” This is a problem with all of music and indeed our culture in general right now. He was probably framing the comment around mainstream listeners who aren’t paying attention to the music but rather the image of the artist, and yet this also perfectly illustrates the fact that you can’t, and shouldn’t, judge a book by its cover. It’s for that reason which I chose not to include cover art in this piece, just like with Midland. As with Midland, I know you’ve all seen–or at least have the easy ability of Googling–this album, and indeed the link at the bottom to purchase it will show you the cover in short order. It’s not that I think the cover, which will quickly explain that Trixie Mattel is the drag persona of Brian Firkus, reflects anything that Trixie should tone down; on the contrary, I saw some comments on SCM advising she remove the makeup in order to decrease the image marketing and possible shock value and perhaps reach more listeners, and to that, I would disagree. Rather, my point with this is symbolic and meant to further the most important lesson taught by this album and artist: that music, and especially country music, is meant for all, can break down all barriers and prejudices, and should be listened to without prejudgments based on well, anything.

So we put this record on without considering anything else, and we get a truly cool album. Mostly, it’s traditional, featuring lively fiddles, acoustic guitars, and some occasional horns to add some flavor. “Break Your Heart” adds some hand claps and could be considered the most modern, but that’s not really an issue except that it also suffers lyrically, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Even though it’s a traditional record, it’s fresh and charming, with the majority of the songs being fun, upbeat numbers. I wish most of Americana could take a lesson from this. And then, just when you think it’s all sort of light and breezy and doesn’t take itself too seriously, “Red Side of the Moon” arrives to toss that notion effectively out the window and show you that Trixie Mattel is really serious about this and can deliver a deeper, more emotional song as well.

And what an interesting way Trixie has with the English language, adding almost theatrical turns of phrase at times to create really clever bits of songwriting. Yes, an upbeat, vibrant record can also contain thoughtful songwriting…take a moment to digest this, all you artists that don’t inject life into your albums or somehow view fun as the opposite of substantive. With lines like “an hour hand moves faster with a scotch” in “Soldier” and “tell me little dear, if you only live here, did you really ever live at all?” in “Little Sister,” there are often little thought-provoking nuggets of songwriting that belie the cheerfulness of the songs. And then there’s the clever homage to songs like “Stand by Your Man,” “Ring of fire,” and “Neon Moon” in the track “The Well” which serves both to continue to establish Trixie as a lyricist and also to show that she has a knowledge and respect for the history of country music. That last is something many mainstream stars lack on an embarrassing level, or else choose to ignore, so seeing it here is encouraging.

It’s in light of this lyrical genius that “Break Your Heart” feels disappointing lyrically, because with a line like “I never meant to break your heart, but I’d do it again,” you’re a little perplexed. So Trixie didn’t mean to break this person’s heart, but given the chance, she’d do it all over? It’s confusing, and combined with the claps, it makes this song easily the weakest.

But overall, this is a really cool, fun little record. And more than that, it happily defies stereotypes in the best possible way: just by being itself and proving prejudice wrong. Things like this make more of a statement than any protest or advocacy because they break down barriers and remove ignorance. This music doesn’t preach, it just exists, and that’s really the best way to reach people. Instead of alienating an audience, this can draw listeners together in that way only music can. And as far as our beloved country music, with Trixie’s presence, it’s being carried to people who may never otherwise have heard it at all. If this record is awakening the joy in anyone for country music that I possess, I welcome it, for that love and passion is unlike anything I have experienced. And it’s that same love and passion which lives inside Trixie Mattel and comes pouring out on this record, and which ultimately defies everything else.

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Reviews

Album Review: Vivian Leva–Time is Everything

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Rating: 7/10

While many mainstream outlets would probably classify it as such, Country Exclusive is not a traditionalist Web site, and I am not a traditionalist writer. I do try to find some country in most of the music I review, and I do respect the roots of the music, but I believe it should move forward rather than backward, and yes, that it should evolve, just not in the ways of radio. You’ll find some reviews very shortly on this blog embracing some rather progressive stuff that those with more traditional views than myself are going to hate. I seek good music from pop country, from Red Dirt, from Americana, from whatever this new thing called fusion country is supposed to be, and from everything in between.

All that said, there is nothing that can quite replace the sound of three-chord country, from the fiddle and steel to the simple musical progressions to the stories and melodies that speak to real lives and real people. And no matter how many subgenres country splits into, it’s still good to see people carrying a torch for traditional country because even though it’s great to hear new ideas and forward-thinking music, it would be a shame if this art form died out completely or became relegated to the past like a forgotten, outdated piece of musical history that had long since run its course.

It’s comforting when you press play on this record and hear those traditional three-chord arrangements, shuffling beats, and simple melodies. Simply put, it’s just a lovely album to listen to instrumentally. My favorite thing I’ve heard about this album compared it to sunrise and springtime, and after some listens, I’d have to say that’s accurate, as it’s really bright and calming and just a good record for this time of year. Although minimalist in its approach, there’s enough variety in tempo and instrumentation to make it quite an engaging listen. It’s true the production is sparse, but within these parameters, there’s quite a bit of variety, from the bluegrass feel of “Cold Mountains” to the shuffle of “Why Don’t You Introduce me as Your Darlin'” to the atmospheric cover of “Last of my Kind.” Incidentally, this is one rare instance where a cover is better than the original.

And much of this feels authentic to Vivian Leva, not just an interpretation of style like some traditional country albums tend to be, but rather an actual outpouring of her emotion expressed through this art form. Her songs speak to love and heartbreak like many of the greatest country songs through the ages, from the wistful, resigned “Bottom of the Glass” to the hopeful yet jaded “No forever.” She looks back on the memories in “Cold Mountains” and wonders aloud what happened to her love and marriage in “Sturdy as the Land.” She’s done wishing for things she knows she can never have in the acoustic “Wishes and Dreams” and admits that she waited too long in the piano-driven closer, “Here I Am.” It all seems to come together in the title track, as she’s trying to move on. This record seems to represent her time dealing with the pain of this lost love and moving on from it for the better.

My biggest criticism of this album is Vivian Leva herself, and if vocals mean a lot to you, this might not be the record for you. Still, it’s a difficult thing to criticize because for some of you, it won’t matter all that much. Any of you who read this regularly will know vocals mean quite a lot to me, and you should know that this album has to be good because basically, I like this despite myself and my personal problems with her voice. And when you hear one of the sample songs, you’ll think I mean her tone, which is frail and soft, but that’s not the biggest issue, as tone is just something that exists; a singer cannot control that. It’s true that you might have to get used to her tone, but the bigger issue is her inflections. She does this sort of half yodel thing that is very similar to Natalie Maines’ style of singing, but unlike Maines, Vivian Leva doesn’t use it to its full effect, sometimes adding this to nearly every syllable in a song. This is most pronounced on “Bottom of the Glass,” which is unfortunately the opener. It’s least noticeable on “Why Don’t You Introduce me as Your Darlin’.” This effect combined with the fragility of her tone also means Leva can sometimes be hard to understand. For me, it’s quite distracting at times and really brings the album down, but for those who don’t care as much about vocals, it won’t be as much of a problem. There is also some weaker writing on the last couple of songs, and the album definitely ends at a lower point than where it begins.

But overall, this record just won me over. The melodies and lyrics are well-written, and there’s enough variety in instrumentation to keep this from suffering the fate of all the boring 2017 independent releases. It’s a charming little album and definitely the most country one I’ve heard in quite awhile. Sometimes it’s just nice to have fiddle and steel in your life, but just because somethings country doesn’t mean it’s good. This, fortunately, is both.

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Reviews

Album Review: Courtney Marie Andrews–May Your Kindness Remain

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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.

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Reviews

Album Review: Courtney Patton–What it’s Like to Fly Alone

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Rating: 9/10

I know, I know, this record isn’t available on Spotify or Google Play, at least for the time being. There aren’t even any videos up on YouTube. It makes arguably even less sense, then, that it can be streamed on Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited, as opposed to just being a record available only for purchase through digital download or by buying physical copies. The merits, or lack thereof, of exclusivity can be debated, but that’s not going to change the fact that if you want to hear this new Courtney Patton release, many of you are going to have to look somewhere other than your favorite streaming outlet.

And you know what? Frankly, that’s a real shame, because this new Courtney Patton album deserves to be heard, indeed is probably worth supporting via a purchase rather than simply streaming it–but so many people are going to overlook it instead because that’s just how this often works in 2018.

So don’t be one of those people who misses out on the best record of 2018 so far because of silly things like this.

“This record is full of songs about people who have had to fly alone in some way, whether through grief, loss, life choices, addiction, or love,” says Patton about her latest effort. She goes on to say that it’s not always a depressing thing, that sometimes flying alone can help us figure out who we are and our destinies. It’s evident in this album as well, as there are definitely some melancholy moments, but the whole thing is far from a sad, lonely affair. There’s also a sense of hope and purpose running through this album which connects these characters and their stories.

For each character, flying alone seems to be slightly different. Many of them are here because of their own choices, as Patton explained. There’s the narrator of “Round Mountain,” a woman who abandoned her family after finally admitting that she wasn’t cut out for a life of raising babies and being married to a man she didn’t love. The woman here has made some mistakes and bad choices, like sleeping with another woman’s husband, but she neither apologizes for herself nor makes excuses. She’s not trying to run from what she’s done, and she’ll admit that it was wrong, but it’s also not something she’s sorry for; rather, she’s just stating the facts. It’s the same with the woman from “Devil’s Hand,” as she states that she wanted to see if his hand “felt as warm as it looked,” and that she understood what she was doing when she walked down this path. The narrator of “Open Flame” is self-aware as well, but she’s trying to walk away before the choice of adultery ruins her life and hurts her husband. She won’t be alone physically because she’ll go home to her husband, but she’ll be lonely because, as she says, she wants and needs this man instead of the one she married.

“Words to my Favorite Memory,” which first arrived in acoustic form on Patton’s duets album with Jason Eady, appears here again to explore the grief/loss side of flying alone. This song does a nice job of illustrating the connections we all have to certain songs and stories; the narrator here can’t play “My Favorite Memory” by Merle Haggard anymore because she was spinning the record when she received a call that her lover had died. “Fourteen Years” is a personal one for Courtney, written about her sister, who died tragically in a car accident and is referenced briefly in Courtney’s song “So This is Life.” “Red Bandanna Blue” was inspired by the loss of Kent Finlay, formerly the owner of Cheatham street Warehouse, although this one is written somewhat ambiguously and could be seen as a song about simply missing someone. Similar to “This Road to You,” it could be taken as a song about missing a friend or lover who simply isn’t present at the time.

Speaking of which, “This road to You” is a good example of a character still flying alone, but only for a time. This narrator is simply alone because of distance, and doing her best to get back to the one she loves. It adds a nice moment of levity to some of the darker material here. “Shove” is another one that adds a brighter moment to the album and sees a character admitting to needing some help, not being able to do it all by herself anymore. This one certainly works better in the context of the album than it did as the lead single, and really, all of these songs except possibly the cover of “Gold standard” really fit together lyrically to paint one overall picture, a picture that comes together in the title track.

As great as its lyrics are, however, this album’s strongest points lie in its instrumentation and production. Traditional through and through, this record can’t be labeled Americana or even mistaken for the Texas country sound that one might attach to this artist’s name. This can’t be called anything but stone cold, three-chord country. There’s plenty of fiddle happily contributing here, especially on “Round Mountain” and the title track. Steel guitar cries out in “Devils’ Hand,” “Red Bandanna Blue,” and “Fourteen Years,” making the last three songs of this album the place for steel enthusiasts to start. The piano makes its presence felt in several places as well, particularly on “Open Flame” and “Fourteen Years.” Instrumentally, this is an improvement from Courtney Patton’s last record; while that one was traditional throughout also, this one explores more variety within those parameters, adding texture and color to certain songs. And eat your heart out, Americana artists, this is beautifully, cleanly produced, without any ridiculous attempts to sound retro or throwback or you know, like shit just for the sake of sounding like shit. Courtney produced this herself, and she did a fantastic job with it.

So yeah, in short, there’s not a lot wrong with this record at all. The only thing I can maybe say is it could have had perhaps another upbeat moment, but that’s me being very nitpicky, as this also is an improvement from her last album in terms of variety in tempo and mood. IN fact, I’d have sooner taken out a track like the “Gold Standard” cover that doesn’t add to the theme of the album than added anything to what feels like a complete story. The lyrics and stories work very well together to paint this picture. The production is tasteful and pretty much nearly flawless. You can tell a lot of care went into this album both lyrically and musically, and the result is the best record yet to grace our presence in 2018. Courtney Patton should be proud of this.

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Album Review: First Aid Kit–Ruins

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Rating: 8/10

I recently called Caitlyn Smith’s debut a benchmark of vocal ability–and this latest record by Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, known collectively as First aid Kit, might just be the benchmark of harmony, and how to express lyrics already so potent in even deeper ways with just the right chords and dissonance. Similar to the Secret Sisters, these siblings have an uncanny ability to bring out that forgotten element of music and make harmony one of the key factors of their musical expression. Melody and vocal ability are not the only musical elements being thrown out the window in the age of the song, and duos like these are necessary to help remind us of the dying art and great importance of harmony.

So take all the harmonic nuances and chilling chords of a Secret Sisters record, but add much more variation in style. The Secret Sister’s’ latest record was minimalist, allowing their vocals and harmony to be the main focus. First Aid Kit’s approach is to showcase their incredible singing with backdrops of folk/Americana, (“Fireworks,” “Ruins,”) pop, (“Rebel Heart,” “It’s a Shame,”) and stone cold country (“Postcard.”) IN this way, the production is varied and interesting and only serves to elevate the sister’s talent and prove they can excel at more than one style. It’s also what might hold them at arm’s length from traditionalists and more mainstream fans alike, but rather than their sound feeling like it can’t make up its mind, it feels defined. Far more than many, First aid Kit have, for the most part, a distinct handle on how best to produce a particular song to let that song live up to its full potential and resonate with its listeners.

Then we add to all of this all the complex and heightened emotions of a breakup record, triggered by Klara’s own recent split, and this record gets a touch of the same restlessness and self-discovery which marked Lilly Hiatt’s latest album, Trinity Lane. Similar to that record, this First aid Kit release largely captures a moment in time and all the various emotions sparked by that moment. There’s a sense of loss on some songs, regret on others, and a thread of hope running through the entire album that connects the whole thing and makes it cohesive, regardless of the varying styles and moods.

It’s hard to single out individual songs from this project because the whole thing tells its own story and takes a complete journey, contributing more as a finished product than as the sum of separate songs. Certainly the most country offering here is the charming, shuffling “Postcard,” which makes great use of the piano, an instrument I’d have liked to have found more on this album after hearing its effect on this song. It’s hard to question the ever-building five-minute opener, “Rebel Heart,” either, although this one does decidedly lean more towards the folk pop side of things. There’s vulnerability on “Fireworks,” reflection on “My Wild Sweet Love,” and forward-thinking resolve on “It’s a Shame.” It all works together and serves a purpose, and really, for the first eight tracks of this ten-track journey, there is no measurable misstep.

It does end on a bit of a whimper, however, at least compared to the extremely high bar the sisters set for themselves earlier, especially across the first half of this record. “Hem of her Dress” is the glaring exception to their smart production choices, bursting forth into some sort of loud, boisterous, almost mariachi ending that completely takes away from the thoughtful lyrics of the song and does not match with the acoustic feel at the beginning. The closer, on the other hand, called “Nothing Has to be True,” is very smart sonically but doesn’t carry as much weight lyrically as some of the other material here. Maybe it’s just the standards to which I’m holding this talented group, but it definitely seems like First Aid Kit end this record at a decidedly lower point than the one at which it started. That’s not to take away too much from a great album, but honestly, halfway through this release, I thought we might be looking at the first 10/10 of the year.

And that’s mostly what you should take away from this review, that a good portion of this album is not just good or even great; rather, a good portion of this album is flawless. The production is interesting and tasteful, the writing is smart both melodically and lyrically, and the harmonies are stellar. I mentioned that some people might not get this group, people on both sides of the divide, but perhaps a better way to view First Aid Kit is that they’ve got something to offer everyone, and all of it is quality music of substance. For this listener, a lot of it happens to work, but if your tastes are stricter, maybe you’ll gravitate solely toward the more traditional “Postcard” or the more modern “Rebel Heart.” Whatever your natural inclination, I encourage you to give these sisters and this album a listen; talent and good music cross all genre lines.

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