A Whole Lot of Lot
The Backlog cont. 8 female artists. A dash of everything. Pop, Bluegrass, Country, Rock etc.
A dedicated focus on some albums released by female artists. There are two more themed album review posts in rough draft form. Texas and Indie. Hopefully those will both be finished this week. The last week of December will be dedicated to two end of year posts. A top 25 songs of year and a end of years roundup and awards piece. December has been the busiest month of the blog by far. It's been rewarding stretching myself so much further then I ever expected.
1. Ashley McBryde
Coming off of Lindeville, it was unclear what direction Ashley McBryde would go next. She is a veteran artist- which is often reason enough to pursue passion projects- albeit one that only came into some degree of fame recently- where putting out a novelty project is at odds with the smart career path. McBryde tends towards reliably tasteful, well written and thoughtfully constructed country rock.
Unlike many other wannabe rockers, she actually has the bark in her voice to be able to deliver on that country rock promise. I could see critics saying that a substantial chunk of the album falls to what I would call the "Jay Joyce problem", which is that when he takes country artists and pushes them towards rock, he ends up with a foot in each camp. The rock sound gets tempered by commercial country aspirations and you end up with a neutered rock experience and a barely there country angle. This is the flaw with some of Eric Church's, Miranda Lamberts, and Brothers Osborne‘s music. There are spots on here that fall into this category. I'd argue the title track fails in this regard. Controversial take I assume.
However, broadly speaking, Joyce curtails his worst instincts and generally plays things straight. When needed, he makes the correct decision to amp things up to eleven- Blackout Betty-which suits McBryde really well. In other cases, the production goes too hard and doesn’t present the nuanced and complex lyrics and storytelling that lie at the center of the album.
Compare this to 1988 by Lori McKenna, where the more muted instrumental palette shifts focus towards the songwriting. The discussions that take place on this record are no less deep and thoughtful than on 1988, however the accompaniment is dramatically different. Sometimes overstuffing things, but oftentimes emphatically emphasizing just what makes Ashley McBryde's way of communicating emotion and complex ideas so compelling.
2. Kelsea Ballerini
Difficult to disconnect the album from all of the melodrama? Yeah. Obviously this is all on purpose. Not the divorce or anything as conspiratorial as that, but simply how the record is themed not just to confront and dive into the emotions, but also to take commercial advantage of the moment. How is this different from other divorce albums of recent vintage, say Adele or Carly Pearce? I’m not entirely sure. This seems slightly more explicitly targeted, but that’s just a difference in degree, not a difference in kind.
The album is very sharply written. There’s a lot of flair and spunk as you would expect from a Kelsea Ballerini record, but it doesn't end there. She has sporadically shown prior that she has a gifted pen and an especially delicate and profound way of delivering the ideas and stories. That is brought out to the maximum on here with nearly every song being a skewering indictment or deeply insightful reflection.
Personally I find albums like this to be a little bit distasteful, and don't really enjoy it. On the other hand, artists are perfectly willing to make love songs about their own weddings, and use footage as part of the music video, so again, it's really just a difference in degree.
If you read gossip magazines, this album is definitely for you. If you appreciate well written music, this is definitely for you. If you appreciate intricate pop focused arrangements, again this is for you. Certainly it's Kelsea's best album and very understandable why it reaches the upper echelons of end of year lists. It won't be on mine, but I understand where the hype comes from.
3. Brit Tayler
Piqued plenty of interest when it was announced that no less a modern legend then Sturgill Simpson himself would be the main producer on Brit's record. It isn't just the (let's be real, solid but unspectacular) production that gets the album a lot of attention. There's a good reason.
Brit Tayler is from Kentucky and certainly manages to incorporate the general sounds you would expect from a Kentucky based artist. The Appalachian folk landscape is well established by now. However, and this is what I'd consider the difference maker, here that base is added to a classic country background and then tweaked in a way well suited for the modern age. Let’s break it down.
You'll get certain elements of holler influence with bluegrass and Appalachian folk touches. We also have classic country strings giving countrypolitan gloss as needed. Banjo and honky-tonk rhythms take their place in the sunshine. Deep seeds of reflection are to be found all across the record. The sonic variety keeps things punchy and interesting, but sometimes can act as a mask over the depth. It may not attain the heights of the elite projects this year, but is an eminently consistent product throughout that slots it right underneath that tier. I especially enjoyed the real barn burner energy of Rich Little Girls. Also, the delicate closer of Best We Can Do is a lesson in reality that we should all heed.
4. Emily Ann Roberts
Naturally I heard about this from Grady Smith. One of the things about organic sounds becoming normative across the landscape is that you start finding it everywhere. Unlike five years ago, when fiddle and steel only existed in super neotraditional country, nowadays you will start finding more traditional instrumentation even in poppy music. This isn’t that Emily Ann Roberts is pop-country, she isn't. But instead an observation inspired by some of the up-tempo songs on her record. It's a fusion of bubbly pop-country energy with country instrumentation in a way that is a vision for what fusion can look like in a more organic era.
There is a tremendous amount of positivity in this record. Perhaps as the pandemic is starting to ease out of the back of our collective minds, people are more receptive to a forward looking positive perspective. It's oddly refreshing to hear a younger female artist who isn't burnt by love or hurt by divorce and wears her upbeat heart on her sleeve in such a cheerful manner. This is really the only criticism of the record. It's nothing about the vocal approach, evocative and personable writing, or even the presentation (Trent Wilman is fantastic), it is merely that in a world disposed to viewing negativity as being deep and thoughtful, positivity is viewed as naivety or shallow optimism. It isn't true, but perception of the record may suffer because of that bias. However, a fair critique in that vein is that any trait, positivity included, needs contrast in order to really shine. You don’t have a ton of that here and that is my sole critique of the project.
Keep an eye out for The Building appearing on an end of year list. Something about that song really resonated, not for the specificity of it, but for the universality of it. If you’ve been reading this site long enough, you’ll know that something that works very well for me and the vocals there are just killer.
5. Alyssa Micaela
I have a hard time with this record, mostly because the highs are so high and the lows are just so forgettable. I feel bad saying this, but the production ethos of bigger and louder drums and guitars does not work on non-powerful vocals. I don’t care that you can adjust the mix to push the vocal to the front. It still doesn’t work. Admittedly not everyone needs to be Randy Houser and have a voice that can genuinely compete with blaring electric guitar in volume and intensity. But when you have a more delicate vocal, which is often the case with female vocalists, this hard rock stuff isn’t gonna work. That reality immediately knocks out close to half the record.
On the other hand, there’s some fantastic introspective parts on here. Jealous Of The Birds is a masterpiece in that vein. Micaela herself has a fine vocal, when it’s not being thrust into competition with excessive production choices, and has a flare for delivery that reminds you of some of the more personality driven vocal styling of the 2000s. With the resurgence in late 90s, early 2000 country production styles, it would not surprise me if this album triggered some nice audience growth for Micaela.
6. Kylie Morgan
Well, it certainly seems that the industry doesn't have many new ideas. Most of this album heavily pulls from early Carrie Underwood, mixed with a little early ‘00s diva pop, and smothered in far-more-than-necessary pop gloss that sometimes feels pulled from the ‘80s. This overwhelming production style disguises the often interesting things Morgan has to say.
Of course it's not all introspective songwriter, there's plenty of buzzword heavy meta fulfilling attempts here. It almost isn't fair to compare a debut record from a label artist to her indie peers. Moments are here, and Morgan has the pizzaz and presence behind the mic to deliver, but there's a feeling that her talent was let down by the nature of the surrounding requirements. It could be that she was deeply inspired by pop icons like Shania, Christian Aguilera, early Taylor, and Carrie, or it could just be what Nashville ceaselessly rinses and repeats with its young female artists in the hope of making the next Taylor Swift. It's well past time to update their playbook. It's looking more tired than Bill Belichek's coaching in 2023 and that's saying something.
7. Molly Tuttle
This album is getting a ton of recognition, and as someone who really tried to embrace the world of bluegrass over the past year or two, I fully understand why.
Molly Tuttle is an ideal of musician. She has a wonderful voice with a very clear tone. It is not one prone to histrionics, as I’ve said on the blog many times, the focus with music is communication not purposelessly dramatic presentation. Her tone masterfully conveys via a varying style that ranges from being conversational to being extremely melodic. She’s an eminently capable guitar picker as well which is necessary for bluegrass bona fides and she’s a fantastic writer. Really a jack of all trades.
The record touches any number of topics, both lighthearted and heavy. Whether that be the growth of the legal marijuana industry, or love. All of them get approached with a touch and finesse that is top tier.
I particularly enjoyed When My Race Is Run and certainly San Joaquin is another stand out. It has the energetic pulsating energy which is not unusual in bluegrass, but for those coming from outside, who maybe are unaware of how high octane music can be even without dedicated percussion, it could be a revelation. This album is one of the best of the year and gives Tuttle proper buzz to her name.
8. Amanda Fields
First embrace what is strongly classic country sensibility, heavily influenced by the incisive, straightforward commentary of that era. Then add a little of modern aesthetic and pieces of minor bluegrass influence and you equal a sonic masterpiece.
Utilizing this sonic soundscape, Fields is very focused on singular themes of loss and heartbreak. Could be to a detriment for some listeners, but I enjoy a well themed project. Also, when someone gets up there and does this good a job sounding like a young Allison Krauss, it makes you stand up and notice. Trail Of Unforgiveness is a noticeable standout. Yet another addition to a great year of neovintage music.
Thanks for reading,
Joe