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Album Review – Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere

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Rating: 7.5/10

Before listening to this album, the only thing I’d heard from Ashley McBryde was “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”. I liked her voice in that song, and I found the chorus catchy. The subject of making the best of a bad day is something I think is very important. Now that I’ve listened to this album, that song is still one of my favorites, but Ashley McBryde’s music has a lot of good things going for it, aside from just that one song.

The album starts off with the title track. It’s also one of my favorites. According to the description on apple Music, the song is autobiographical. Ashley had a teacher who said she’d never get anywhere by playing music. Even when she defied said teacher’s expectations and made it, though, Ashley still had people saying that she’d crash and burn. Still, the draw of the crowd and doing what she loved kept her dreams afloat, and though it hurt when people said those things, Ashley still kept on going. After the acoustic production of this song, “Radioland” came as quite a surprise. It’s an upbeat track, with some great guitar. While I would usually not go for this kind of thing on a country album, the whole rock sound works well for Ashley’s voice, which is good as she’s got more where that came from. This particular song is all about listening to the radio as she grew up, and the memories she had. I liked the flow of the song, and it made for a nice, somewhat lighter moment.

“American Scandal” is one of my least favorite songs on the album. It’s pleasant to listen to, but it just doesn’t stick out. It’s a relationship song. She wants the passion of scandals past. I guess things are just too vague for me to really relate to the characters in this one. “Southern Babylon” is an interesting song. It’s all about her going to Hell, where she had to play guitar in flames. While discussing this song with Megan, she said it was awesome for someone to put a song about going to Hell on their debut album. She also wished that the production had been different, and when she said that, I realized my problem with this song. I wish it had been rougher, maybe more upbeat, something instrumentally to indicate the theme of the song. Overall, I think this track was an awesome idea, I just wish it had been executed differently.

We go from Hell to memories. “The Jacket” is the next track, and it’s all about her father’s old jean jacket. It had seen many of his memories, and he ultimately gives it to her so that she could feel like he was with her. I do love this song. It takes being materialistic and turns it around. The object actually has a meaning. “Living Next to Leroy” is a fun and upbeat song, despite the lyrics revolving around getting high. It’s another nostalgia-laced song, wherein she talks about her neighbor who was big into drugs. In the end of the song, she gets her diploma, and Leroy isn’t there to be proud of her.

“Andy (I Can’t Live Without You)” is a softer song. The instrumentation is mostly made up of guitar, and her tone is softer. It’s all about a relationship wherein her boyfriend drives her crazy, but she can’t seem to live without him. I loved how this song portrayed how relationships are never perfect, and even that man who drives you crazy could still be the one for you. “El Dorado” is yet another faster song, all about driving to the next show, and trying to find the town it’s in. SHe’s tired, they’re running out of gas, and yet she keeps going. I take this as sort of a sequel to “Girl Goin’ Nowhere”, since she’s headed toward her dreams. I like the instrumentation of the song, but the repeated line of “can’t stop now” does quickly get old. Still, it’s not an awful song, and it makes for good listening.

Finally, we come to the last two songs. “Tired of Being Happy” is a slower, more blues-infused track. The woman in the song is telling her ex that if he gets tired of being happy and in love, he could give her a call. She doesn’t want to ruin what he has, but she’s there, just in case he ever wants to take her up on the offer. “Home Sweet Highway” is another road song, all about how the highway is her home. This song doesn’t stick out much for me either, maybe because it’s slower. Still, I like how she keeps bringing things back to the road.

Overall, I think this is a well-done album. It’s one of the best mainstream country albums I’ve heard in a while, probably since Maddie and Tae’s album. Ashley’s voice is versatile, going from vulnerable in songs like “Andy”, to more confident in “Radioland”, and “El Dorado”. I think if you want to find a new artist who’s in the mainstream scene, you should definitely check out this album.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s830jmiqnw

Reviews

Single Review: Miranda Lambert’s “Keeper of the Flame”

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Rating: 8/10

Maybe “Vice” was too edgy and serious, and country radio was too afraid to play a song about a woman drinking and having casual sex. I have no idea what the problem with “We Should be Friends” was, but since it wasn’t one of the standouts from The Weight of These Wings for me personally and also didn’t seem to resonate extremely well with the public, I’ll give country radio a pass here. And “Tin Man” was obviously just too good and too country for the format in order to ever have any hope of success, despite its ridiculous sales and award show spikes, because promoting a single with proven sales behind it just makes too much sense.

But if “Keeper of the Flame” can’t manage to do something meaningful at radio, I will be forced to conclude that it’s because Miranda has breasts–because this is a perfect 2018 country radio single, complete with anthemic lyrics, a catchy melody, and your standard rising choruses so common to the format. And oh yeah, it actually has substance and pays tribute to the singers who came before Lambert and the ones who will come after, as she keeps the flame of country music alive. But although it honors tradition lyrically, its production is modern country rock, featuring synthesizers, and in short, not something which should be polarizing to radio. In fact, it’s a song that bridges the gap between the mainstream and independent, the modern and traditional very well, like the way we had all hoped Scotty McCreery might do with his latest album.

This single is an example of how to move country music forward in a respectful manner, and in a practical sense, it’s also the best one Miranda Lambert has chosen from this album. Let’s hope it can make an impact and that her radio career isn’t completely dead at this point because success for this song means success for a song of substance, for a woman artist who deserves to be recognized, and most importantly, for a song that actually sounds like it belongs in the country genre.

Written by: Miranda Lambert, Natalie Hemby, Liz Rose

Reviews

Montgomery Gentry’s Final Album is Something to be Proud Of

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Rating: 8/10

So let’s discuss the elephant in the room, Troy Gentry’s tragic passing in a helicopter accident just days after this album was finished. This will be the duo’s final album–at least unless we get some unreleased material later, as is often the case after artists pass away–and while that’s maybe made this record more significant to a lot of people, especially long-time Montgomery Gentry fans, the fact is that it ultimately has no bearing on this album or how we should receive it.

And that may seem like a strange start to this review, or a strange opinion for a reviewer/critic to hold, not taking something as significant as a death into account when evaluating a record. After all, it’s often context that helps to unwrap an album, and although we try to separate artist’s personal lives from their careers, often their lives and unique personal experiences produce the most compelling, heartfelt music. If nothing else, it may seem easier said than done for me to tell you not to let Troy’s death affect your assessment of this effort because I write this as someone who has enjoyed some Montgomery Gentry music in her time but is also not overly familiar with them, and is certainly not someone who could be classified as a huge fan of the group.

But in this case, Troy Gentry’s death has put a lot of emphasis on this record, and not necessarily an emphasis this record was seeking when he and Eddie Montgomery wrapped it up two days before his passing. It wasn’t a “final album.” It wasn’t written with anything in mind but making a new record. There were no underlying messages here, no evidence the band would break up, no reflections on the end of life as there are for some older artists, as they contemplate possibly producing their last project. It was not an album that was even partly done and then amended once Troy had died, allowing the shadows of his death to be cast over it, a finality to be added to it via some unreleased material or tributes from other artists. It was nothing more than Montgomery Gentry’s ninth studio album, and that’s part of its beauty, and why it’s so important that this record is strong, mostly forsaking their trend-chasing material of the last couple albums for more of what made them so popular earlier in their careers–because they weren’t doing this to go out on a high note, they were just making a good record. And it’s incredibly sad that this has to be their last one.

That said, it’s so relieving to hear a good record from them. Because they weren’t trying to make a good final impression, this could have been anything from a staunch return to their early modern country rock blend to a full-blown embarrassment of a trend-chaser, or really anything in between. And there is one downright awful and unfortunate trend-chasing selection here in “Get Down South,” so let’s just get that out of the way. This is clichéd, uninteresting, and the attempt to rap is…ill-advised, lets’ go with that.

Other than that, though, this is a really solid collection of tunes. “Better Me” is one that is inevitably going to hit people harder due to the circumstances, as Troy Gentry takes the lead and sings about trying to become a better version of himself. But it was a good song already, and delivered with a sincerity that adds to the lyrics. “Crazies Welcome” is one of the most traditional songs I’ve ever heard from the duo, basically embracing all types of people with all their imperfections. I think this song also goes deeper than that, alluding to the fact that real people with real stories make better music than perfect people with nothing out of place. They want scandal, and things that will make us cry; they’ve had enough of everything being done the right way. Basically, I think they’re saying that Nashville and country music should welcome real, crazy people back into the fold if there’s any hope of making the genre interesting and believable again.

Several of these songs remind me of other songs previously recorded by Montgomery Gentry. “Feet Back on the Ground” is sort of like a more traditional and more specific version of “Back When I Knew it All,” as the narrator is taking time out of his day to catch up with his mom. He reflects on how he used to be in a hurry to leave, but now he can’t go more than a few days without talking to her. “”Drive on Home” is similar to “Lucky Man,” except this one is Troy Gentry’s version and decidedly more modern. “King of the World” is a lot like that earlier song as well, and let me tell you, if you can’t smile from this song, you’re wound up too tight. Just a simple, groovy little track that everyone should enjoy.

Actually, that’s the thing about so much of this album, it’s simple in a way that’s not pandering, yet there’s nothing deep about it at all. It’s fun, light, easy to listen to. “That’s the Thing About America” comes dangerously close to pandering, but even that’s got more to it than the surface, as it’s not just an ode to our country or even to our soldiers, but a reminder that everyone can say what they want here, all opinions are valid, and the beauty of this country is that one can just as soon burn the flag here as die for the nation. “Shotgun Wedding” is surprisingly smart as well, framing the whole thing around the line “shotgun wedding, and a boy in a bulletproof vest.” Even “Needing a Beer” goes deeper than its title implies, and although it’s basically still about sitting in a bar drinking a beer, it doubles as a nod to all the hardworking people who can’t be there, like teachers, first responders, and soldiers.

For the most part, their sound returns to a more signature blend of modern country and rock characteristic of their earlier stuff. There are even some more traditional-leaning moments here like in “crazies Welcome” and “Feet Back on the Ground.” The most modern/pop-leaning song, aside from the calamity that is “Get down South,” is “What’cha Say we Don’t.” A lot of people are going to hate this on principle, but it works for this listener despite the sound. I thought I would hate it also, but the smart lyrics about trying to save a relationship on the brink of collapse–instead of doing the easy, predictable thing and just letting it fall apart–actually redeem this song. Even “Drink Along Song” isn’t bad for what it is, which, as you can guess, is pretty much just that.

Overall? Sue me, I like this. And it’s got nothing to do with Troy Gentry’s death, or the fact that this is probably Montgomery Gentry’s final album. In fact, that’s not even relevant, as this album was completed before his passing. If anything, it’s more about the fact that this was Montgomery Gentry just getting back to being themselves, to being the reason that people fell in love with them in the first place. It’s similar to what I said about Brad Paisley’s album last year; if you didn’t like him before, that album wasn’t going to change your opinion, and I don’t think this record will be making any new fans of Montgomery Gentry. However, it will bring those fans back who were unhappy with the direction they were taking on their last couple albums, and now, it will be a nice farewell and allow them to leave on a high note. To quote an earlier song from them: “that’s something to be proud of.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww67LWimoDg

Reviews

Album Review: Meghan Patrick–Country Music Made me do It

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Rating: 8/10

The problem has never been modern country. The problem has never been country mixing with pop or rock. The problems lie in the total eradication of country by these genres to the point you can’t call something pop country anymore because it’s just straight pop slapped with a country label, and too often it’s shitty, generic pop music to add insult to injury. So many traditionalists and especially purists will never find anything to value in modern styles of country music, and that’s perfectly fine as it relates to personal taste. But not all contemporary country is bad, and that’s why it’s so refreshing to see this being done right.

Enter Canadian country artist Meghan Patrick and her new album, Country Music Made me do It. Strict traditionalists, you probably aren’t going to find much to enjoy here–it’s not an album loaded with fiddle and steel by any means. But except for very small instances like on Maddie & Tae’s debut album, the instrumentation is organic, and more importantly, these are good slices of songwriting, enhanced by a great vocalist and by melodies that resonate, two things that are unfortunately too hard to come by at times in the independent scenes.

Even though it’s definitely modern, nailing down the specific sound of this album is a bit tricky. Sometimes, Meghan Patrick blends country and rock, like on the album highlight, “Walls Come Down,” a catchy as all hell tune that details the lives of a family whose secrets are laid bare when both parents have affairs. The sister has her own demons as a result, and as Patrick sings, “sometimes love just ain’t enough to keep the devil out of that picture-perfect house.” In a just world, this would be a 2018 radio hit. Another good country rocker is the defiant “Hardest on my Heart,” wherein Meghan details damaging her liver and her reputation, among other things. There are a lot of songs that detail stuff like this, being a badass and a rebel, to the point they can be a little cliché, but this one works because she acknowledges that her reckless behavior has been harder on herself than anyone. She’s not just proud of breaking hearts and being a strong woman; rather, she’s admitting the toll it takes on her as well as others. And of course there’s the excellent title track and opener, an autobiographical tale of her passion to follow country music.

Other songs could be classified more as pop country. “Bad Guy” and “Small Town” are the two strongest examples of this style, together creating a story in the heart of the album that details the end of a relationship. She has been the one to leave, and the whole town is talking about her, but it seems there is more to this story, and even though it was technically her who left, she didn’t do it without her reasons. Now it seems that the man, especially on “Bad Guy,” is trying to paint her as well, the bad guy, when there are actually two sides to the story. “Small Town” is the continuation, as she’s leaving behind a town that once felt like home to her because she’s sick of hearing the people talking about her behind her back and exchanging half-truths. Both songs indicate that she hasn’t totally moved on herself despite being the one to end it, and together, they create a great moment.

But she’s not always leaving behind relationships and breaking hearts. “George Strait” is a pretty worrisome title, but it’s a surprisingly well-framed love song with actual clever references to Strait songs, so that it becomes more than just a name-drop of the singer. “Case of Beer and a Bed” is one of the best songs here lyrically, as she sings of a couple whose best moments came when they could afford little, and all they needed was each other. Now they are caught up in trying to have more; this song is a reminder that the best things in life are often free, and as Meghan says, “life has a way of complicating love.” This one, though certainly modern, is also one of the most country. “The Way You Apologize” also sees Patrick in a rare vulnerable moment; here, she’s pretty sure the man she’s with is lying to her, but she can’t quite get over him enough to leave him. Not necessarily the best thing on the record, but it serves a nice purpose of showing another side to Meghan Patrick besides the heartbreaker portrayed throughout much of this album.

The only time the style becomes a little too pop is on the small town anthem “WE Got it All.” The lyrics are strong, a noteworthy fact because this had the opportunity to be one giant cliché, and the songwriting saved it from that. It’s just not great sonically. “Underrated” is also just kind of weird–it’s a strange hook to call your lover underrated, and it also has a bit of that East Nashville vibe that’s been done to death and which also doesn’t really suit the otherwise excellent, strong vocals of Meghan Patrick. “Feel me Gone” is easily the best vocal performance here, but the lyrics do fall slightly short, as the narrator is going to the bar alone because her man needs to “feel me gone” and lie awake by himself. She makes it clear that she’s not going to cross the line and just wants him to feel like she’s leaving, but it’s too vague about why he deserves this. Is he not appreciating her at home? Has he cheated on her or left her alone at night wondering, so that she wants him to feel the same way? The vocals here really are outstanding, so this is a minor problem, but having said that, if the lyrics were developed a little more here, this song could have been a standout of the whole record.

But the flaws on this album are minimal, and this is the first truly exciting discovery of 2018 for me. Not the album to buy if you want fiddle and steel, but if you like modern country, you’ll find a lot to enjoy. The melodies are catchy, and the songwriting holds up quite well. IN an ideal world, this is what mainstream country in 2018 would sound like. A great example of contemporary country done right.

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Reviews

Album Review: Travis Meadows–First Cigarette

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Rating: 8/10

Travis Meadows adds his name to the growing list of professional songwriters who are gaining a name for themselves and finding more success with their own material. As for songs written by Meadows, try “Knives of New Orleans” by Eric Church, “Riser” by Dierks Bentley, and “What We Ain’t Got” by Jake Owen. These should be enough to get your attention and keep his third album, First Cigarette, firmly on your radar.

I’ve spent a lot of time in 2017 criticizing various independent/Americana singers for their vocals. It doesn’t matter if you can write a good song if you can’t remain on pitch and/or sing with any emotion. But there’s another side to this too, and that’s understanding your tone as a singer and writing and performing songs to suit you. Travis Meadows brings a weathered, unpolished quality to his singing, and no, he’s not the greatest vocalist in that sense, but he is a fine interpreter, able to capture perfectly all the raw emotion on this record. Plus, he can indeed stay on pitch, so that’s just a bonus…but I digress. His tone may not be for everyone, but he utilizes it well here, allowing it to become a feature rather than a flaw.

And his tone actually suits the material here very well, speaking also to his talent as a songwriter, his ability to write according to his vocal strengths. The rough edges in his voice only serve to elevate this particular record because it’s a self-reflective album, sometimes looking back on the past and other times hopeful for the future, at once wistful and content. “Sideways” sets the mood perfectly, opening the album with the hard-hitting statement: “If I could buy myself a conscience that wasn’t broken, Mend every fence I drove my hard head through. Re-lock all the doors I wish I’d never opened, unlearn the things I wish I never Knew.” Meadows thinks back with nostalgia on his youth on “McDowell road” and “Pray for Jungleland,” and looks forward to making life better for his son on “Travelin’ Bone.” (And by the way, “Pray for Jungleland” is actually a good example of how a song about remembering some girl in tight jeans in your car can actually convey a real emotion and tell a real story.) He’s leaning on friends to help him through hard times on “Better Boat” and seems restless on “Hungry,” but he’s perfectly happy with his life on “Guy Like Me.” It all appears to come together on the title track, as he has learned to appreciate the little things in life, like that feeling of the first cigarette in the morning. He also states that he’s “a little more content with who I am than who I was,” which seems to be the thesis of this whole thing.

The production is another thing I’ve harped on many times in 2017, and yet this record manages to get it exactly right. Travis Meadows said that can be attributed to his producers, Jeremy Spillman and Jay Joyce, wanting it to sound like Travis would sound live in a bar. And it does sound rather organic and unpolished like that, very real and raw and fitting for this journey. Also, every song flows straight into the next, with little instrumental interludes to connect the tracks, so you take this trip right along with Travis. It’s a small detail, but it really adds a lot to this album and the sentiments being conveyed here. It makes this not an album of different songs about finding contentment with who you are and where you’ve been, but rather a single experience, a process that is being carried out throughout the record.

The album needed some brighter moments to lighten the mood and in turn make the serious, reflective stuff stand out all the more, and we get that in several places. It doesn’t quite work on “Underdogs,” as this one is kind of generic and doesn’t really say much when you get right down to it. There are a thousand songs out there like this, and while it will probably really excite live crowds, it doesn’t exactly add much to the project. It doesn’t necessarily take away much either, but lighter moments are pulled off better with “Guy Like Me” and “Long Live Cool.” The former has the personal detail which “Underdogs” lacks, seeing Travis content and happy with his life and circumstances. The latter is a nice, catchy ode to rock ‘n’ roll. This one features some lively harmonica and some nice electric guitar. This one fits well within the album context despite it being lighthearted because it carries that nostalgia so often explored on this record.

First Cigarette is getting slightly underappreciated, and I honestly can’t understand why. Travis Meadows isn’t the greatest vocalist in the world, but the roughness in his voice only adds to this record. The production is some of the best I’ve heard this year, and there’s enough sonic variety to keep it from being sleepy. The writing is nice too, and there’s a thematic structure to this album as well, not something we see on many records these days. Not a concept record, but definitely one continuous journey that finds its conclusion in the title track. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s a damn good one and is not to be overlooked in the frenzy of year-end lists. Highly recommend giving this a listen.

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