Lindi Ortega has been an artist whose style has had to grow on me. Her voice is quite different from those that I usually gravitate toward, but she has a real talent for darker songs. Readers of this site know I don’t often turn away from a dark song! Therefore, when deciding which of Lindi Ortega’s albums I wanted to reflect upon, I had only one in mind.
Release Date: 2012
Style: Alt-Country
People Who Might like This Album: Those who appreciate a good dark tale, and people who don’t mind some deviation from the usual ideas of country music.
Standout Tracks: “Day You Die,” “Murder of Crows,” “Heaven Has No Vacancy”
The songs listed above are not the only great tracks here, but since this is a ten-song album I thought I’d keep my list short. I like when Lindi does more upbeat songs, so “Day You Die” was an instant love, merely based on the guitars and tempo. Still, it’s the lyrics that really make this song stick. “You said you’d love me til the cows come home, well I’m hoping that they all go blind”. Basically, her lover says he’ll love her forever, but she fights with all her might to keep their passion alive, nonetheless. She tells him “just don’t say you’ll love me til the day you die”.
“Murder of Crows” is—you guessed it—a song about murder. It’s got more of a faster tempo though, and her voice is slightly effected. We don’t really learn why, but we know that the narrator of the song kills someone. With an opening line of “everybody knows what’s going down when a murder of crows starts hanging around”, it’s hard to not be immediately hooked.
“Heaven Has No Vacancy” is, if possible, even darker than “Murder of Crows”. The narrator is trying to get into Heaven, and she ends up sitting on the stairs of the Pearly Gates. The imagery of this song is simply stunning. Plus, the words in the beginning of the song, “for if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness” sets the stage nicely. The narrator wants a place in Heaven, but Heaven has no vacancy.
Overall, this album is one I always come back to when I think of Lindi Ortega. The variety of subjects and different tempos keep things interesting. Overall, it’s probably my favorite of her albums. With Liberty coming out recently, her music has been brought more to my attention, and I’m hoping for people to check out her back catalog.
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.
The two most important things in life are loss and love. This album has songs that are about both of those things, and from what I can conclude from listening to the lyrics, those are the two themes here; loss, and love. What better way to make a record about life?
“Lost Without You” gets right into the loss part. He’s missing someone, and he says, “until it’s over, I’m lost without you”, so perhaps that means he has no way of getting someone back. Perhaps they’re dead, or with someone else. The vagueness of these lyrics makes it hard to understand. I do like the instrumentation of this song, though. The guitars and overall sound are nice. “N.Y.C. in the Rain” also has lyrics I cannot seem to puzzle out. It seems to be a song about loneliness, how everyone is on their own course. People leave each other behind, or treat them badly, which causes them to feel like outsiders. While that’s a very sad theme, I can’t quite connect to this song emotionally. There is some very nice piano, though, and I definitely like the song instrumentally.
Everything changes for me lyrically with the third song, “Headlights”. It’s a song about dreams and how they never turn out quite like you would expect. I like how the lyrics address the fact that dreams look better until you start putting real effort into them. He’d rather dream something crazy than to see his dream is dead. “Empty Arms” is a song I really enjoy. To me, it’s about a long-distance relationship. He buys postcards, sends them with words she already knows, that they’re going to stay together, despite the brutality of the world. It’s a nice moment of lightness after the three heavier songs. I also like the more rock-sounding guitars on the song. It’s one of my favorites off of the album, I think.
“Love That’s Wild” has an interesting beginning, where I thought the sound would be completely different. After a few seconds of effects, steel guitar hits your ears, and makes this one of the most country offerings from this album. This is yet another love song. It talks about a couple who are deeply attached to one another. She made him better after he was broken, and now she’s his queen. I can’t help liking this song for its simplicity. The title track is a more acoustic offering, with only guitar and a couple other instruments backing up Caleb’s vocals. The line that really gets me is “there’s no laughter in this house”. I wish he wouldn’t repeat it, but he really paints the picture of a broken home very well. Once again, I’m wishing we had more specific details so that I could connect emotionally with this song, but it’s not a bad track by any means.
“Way You Oughta Be Seen” describes someone whom he’s seen through many different phases in their lives. He’s seen the highs, the lows, and the way they ought to be seen. He wishes everyone could see her the way she should be seen. “Stack of Tomorrows” once again has that more upbeat tempo that I really like on this album. It seems to be a song about time. He wants to do as much as he can before his time is up, so he’s stacking up tomorrows with his partner. He spends the last of the song repeating the same line about three or four times in a row, and it gets a bit tedious.
One of my other favorites off of the album is “Madelyn”. It has some really well-done fiddle. It’s the first song I listened to off of this album, and it made me interested to try the rest. In the song, he’s talking to Madelyn about their lives together. He talks about some of the painful things in their past, and then says he knows they’ll make it. He’ll help her when she needs it. Again, I really like these earnest love songs. “Six Feet From the Flowers” is one of the saddest songs I have heard all year. It’s all about a man who has lost his wife. He talks about how he has her pictures and trinkets. He has his workbench, but he hasn’t used it to build anything because he has nobody to build for. These are the kinds of details that really connected me to this song. The backing vocal of a sort of choir, and the organ in the background really give this song a somber feeling. In the end, years have passed, and the man dies, going home to see his wife. This has to be the highlight of the album. There is just too much feeling and thought poured into this track. If you listen to anything off of this record, make it this song. It’s unbearably sad, but it makes up for all of the other songs I failed to connect with.
“Until It’s Over” is the final track on the album. It’s a love song, where he talks about a woman who keeps him on track. The thing about this song is he keeps repeating the word “anymore”. It quickly got old, but I did like the idea of the song, as well as the acoustic instrumentation. It harkens back to the first song, because he says “until it’s over, I’m lost without you”. I’m not a fan of the instrumental that ends the song, but as everyone reading my posts knows, that’s just my personal taste.
In the end, I thought this was a solid album. The instrumentation was always very well-done, and the musical styles varied enough that I never got bored. There are some really good songs on here. Still, the thing that really brings this album down for me is the vagueness in a lot of the lyrics, and the fact that I can’t quite connect to the majority of the songs. If they had all been more specific in the pictures and characters Caleb Caudle painted with his words, this could easily have been a great album. Still, this has definitely made me interested to try out some of his other albums, and he is now an artist I’m intrigued to watch.
I would like to forgive Pastor Tim.
I forgive you for deciding not to baptize me when I was a teenager for being gay.
It was not so much that you wouldn’t or couldn’t do it because of the tenets put in place by the baptist rules and traditions, but because you waited until all my family and friends were present and waiting in the pews for the ceremony.
I don’t believe you did it to humiliate me – I think you struggled with the decision and simply ran out of time… I think you probably still do struggle with it.
I’d like you to know that I still love you and that I understand we’re all on a journey together, trying our best to walk through the world with honor and dignity – but what I want you to know most of all is that you did not damage my faith. Not in god, not in humanity and not in myself.
The experience inspired me to help other gay kids and my spiritual LGBTQ brothers and sisters come to terms with the disappointments they’ve endured on the rugged road to peace and acceptance. I think you’d appreciate that process.
You’ve helped far more people than you’ve hurt and you helped me too.
Thank you
xobc
These words came from Brandi Carlile as part of the promotion ahead of this release, as she encouraged fans to share their own stories of forgiveness. Sometimes, background information is irrelevant when discussing an album, but with this record, it’s important to understand Brandi’s empathy for people, her ability to put herself in the place of others, and her search for forgiveness, no matter how hard it might be. These songs seemingly don’t have much to do with one another on the surface, but her ability to understand and empathize with others connects these tracks and explains the title of this record perfectly.
Unwrapping this album takes time, and taking in all that Brandi Carlile has to say here can be quite honestly daunting at first. I say sometimes that a record is an easy listen; this release is anything but easy to listen to, as there’s not really a moment of levity or relief on the entire project, except for perhaps “The Mother.” That said, it’s certainly a record that will make you feel something, one that will be relatable to people in many difficult situations, and one that carries much hope and understanding within it.
The greatest asset here is Brandi herself. It’s her ability to command her voice, her intensity and power on songs like “The Joke,” and the way every note seems to come from a place of pure passion. Sometimes, that passion comes because the songs are personal; I mentioned “The Mother,” and this one is the closest thing to a light moment, as she’s thankful for her daughter Evangeline. Still, even here, there’s some underlying pain, as she mentions the sacrifices she’s made and remarks that the world has been against them. She also adds a touch of personal pain and experience to “The Joke,” as she reaches out to kids who don’t fit normal stereotypes, letting them know that in the end, the joke will be on the ones who laughed at them.
Perhaps even more valuable than her personal experience, though, is the unique ability of Brandi Carlile to put herself in another’s place and make you feel all of their pain and suffering with her voice and lyrics. She sings about addiction on “Sugartooth,” weaving a tale of a man who fights the battle all his life only to commit suicide. She reminds us, “no point now to judge him in vain. If you haven’t been there, you don’t know the pain.” It’s a startling reminder that maybe, under different circumstances, that could have been any of us. She wrote a song here called “Fulton County Jane Doe” specifically to remind people thinking about committing suicide that they were once loved, that they were called something sweet by someone once which means something more than Fulton County Jane. She wants all these downtrodden people to know she thinks of them and prays for them. We all could learn from her compassion.
Forgiveness, like the album’s title would suggest, does serve to tie these tracks together and give the record a cohesive feel. The opener, “Every Time I Hear That Song,” sees Carlile letting go of an forgiving an ex, indeed thanking her for bringing Brandi to this point in her life. She’s displaying that empathy again, as she can put herself in her ex’s shoes and understand that leaving Brandi was hard for this woman as well. “Whatever you Do” arrives in the middle of the record with another story of love, this one implying that she loves this person so much that it’s actually affecting her life and dreams. For most of the song, this one is just simply Brandi Carlile and her acoustic guitar, allowing the depth of the lyrics to shine, as well as that commanding presence in her voice. The album closes with a return to love and forgiveness, tying the whole thing together with a moving piano ballad called “Party of One.” Here, Carlile is sitting alone in a restaurant after a fight with her lover. She’s not ready to leave the relationship, simply wanting some time alone. By the end of the song, she’s going home to be with her lover because in the end, no argument is worth giving up that love. She’ll forgive and work through this because she knows that this love means more than anything which came between them. It’s a really powerful way to close the album, and the string section comes in at the end to add to the intensity of the song and the message.
All that said, this is not a perfect album. The highs are incredibly high, but there are some lows. “Hold out Your Hand” just doesn’t work on any level, most notably the vocals, as instead of commanding the song in her usual way, Brandi just seems to be shouting over everything on this track. It comes off more like a lot of noise than a wall of sound, which is what I think they were going for here. “Harder to Forgive” fits in with the themes running through the album, but it’s the ninth track of ten, and it doesn’t really say anything as profound as the other songs before it. The others paint the pictures through compelling stories and relatable characters, whereas this song’s message is almost too transparent. We’ve already heard this done much better. “Fulton County Jane doe” also could have gone a little deeper; the foundation is great, but it’s a little underdeveloped lyrically, particularly in the verses, and unlike a lot of the other songs here, it’s also not that interesting melodically.
Overall, though, this is a solid record. For those of you who like to get caught up in the rating, this is one that I debated quite a lot because I can see this album either growing on me with time as the depth of the material continues to impact me, or getting a bit older after awhile because of the sheer intensity of this project. Consider this a tiny, light 8 for now, with a lot of room to change. For those of you more concerned with finding good music, there are some incredible songs here, and Brandi Carlile is certainly a forced to be reckoned with vocally. This may not be the record for everyone, but it’s certainly a good one.
Let’s establish two things about this album before we go any further. One, it is not country, and Apple’s label of “singer-songwriter” is only slightly more appropriate, as basically it’s pop, or perhaps folk pop. Two, it’s not claiming to be anything other than itself, and maybe that’s why, even though it comes from Nashville, and Smith has written songs for country artists, we should just treat this as a musical endeavor, independent of genre. It would be different if Caitlyn Smith were marketing this as country, or if her brand of pop were even remotely radio-friendly, or if she weren’t anything but herself on this record. But she’s being authentic, and for some, it might take a couple listens to get that, or at least it did for this listener. But if you take Caitlyn for Caitlyn, and you value quality music, you’ll enjoy and appreciate this effort.
So what is it about this flavor of pop music that makes it so different from radio-friendly material? certainly the title track, with its catchy lyrics and rising chorus, would be a pop radio hit in a different world, but even this has more substance than 90% of what you’ll find on either modern pop or country radio. But even more than the substance, it’s the organic and intimate nature of most of the album which sets it apart. “East side Restaurant,” a heartbreak song in which the narrator makes the other side of town seem as far away as if her ex were across the ocean, only works because the production isn’t overdone, and you feel as if you’re sitting there with Caitlyn in the restaurant. “Scenes From a Corner Booth at Closing Time on a Tuesday” carries that same intangible, almost live feel, so that it’s as though you’re sitting in the bar in another booth , observing the same people described in the song. And “Cheap Date” wouldn’t be half as good if it didn’t sound so intimate, speaking of forsaking a date night on the town for a romantic night at home. The warm piano here really adds a nice touch to this track as well.
And not enough can be said about Caitlyn Smith as a vocalist. It’s not just her insane range and power, shown off on the aforementioned “East side Restaurant” and “Tacoma,” but also the incredible depth of feeling in songs like “House of Cards.” She can slay a fun, sultry song like “Contact High,” and then blow you away with her vulnerability on “This Town is Killing Me.” It should be noted that this one is the most country and is the one you should start with if you’re a strict traditionalist. Here, Caitlyn tells us in heartbreaking detail the struggles she has gone through and continues to experience on a daily basis just to make it in Nashville. She sings, with such conviction that it’s impossible not to sympathize with every word, “I wanted it so bad, and now I just wanna go home.” And oh yeah, then there’s the range and power, and moments like on “Tacoma” where Caitlyn nails the key change a cappella by holding out a ridiculous note with such raw intensity that you can’t help but be impressed. It’s rare to find such a wonderful technical singer who can also convey so much emotion, and I know I’ve made much of this, but independent artists, take note. This album is the benchmark of vocal ability among all albums I’ve reviewed on this site to date, and the one which shatters all arguments for good writing eclipsing a superior voice. I can tell you now that this same record, with the same songwriting, and even the same intimate sound, left in the hands of a less competent vocalist, would be mediocre at best and absolutely boring at worst.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some boring moments on the album as it is, and sometimes, it seems like Caitlyn and/or her team were going to the other extreme, showing off her voice in lieu of strong songwriting. The first two songs on the album are unfortunately two of its weakest tracks lyrically, and this is part of the reason that it took me awhile to warm up to this record. Then you get to “Starfire,” and it all comes together, blending that amazing voice with better melodies and smarter lyrics. After that, there’s not really a bad moment at all, except for “Don’t Give up on my Love,” a pretty forgettable track in the middle of the album.
The great part of this record, though, is that all those strong songs just keep getting stronger. This album has already grown on me significantly and will continue to do so. There’s always something new to uncover in the lyrics or a moment to be awed by vocally. The terrible part of this record? Caitlyn’s heartbroken line in “This town is Killing Me,” as she whispers, “Nashville, you win. Your steel guitars and broken hearts have done me in.” Nashville, you embrace plenty of things that aren’t stone cold country, and yet here you are, overlooking the ridiculous crossover talent of Caitlyn Smith. Is it because she’s female, or because her songs have substance and character? Is it because even though she’s singing pop music, she’s being 100% herself, and you know you can’t manipulate her into some sort of Music Row tool? Or is it just that you haven’t embraced talent in so long, you have no idea what to do with it when it’s right in front of you? Whatever the case, Caitlyn Smith and her talent deserve better. She deserves more than obscurity and songs that, in her words, “Never see the light.” I hope she will break out with this album, as she rightfully should.
As noted, traditionalists may be opposed to this record because of personal taste, but I encourage you, if you can get past genre lines and recognize talent and good music for what they are, please check this album and artist out.
