Maurice Hope – September 21, 2016 at 11:58AM
Tags:_AMERICANA
Nashville singer-songwriter Brandy Clark not is a CMA Award winner and four-time Grammy nominee and she has a healthy following on both sides of the water, and is one of the sharpest female songwriters and singers to come out of the country scene in years.
Her appearance at this years C2C at London’s O2 coupled with her critically acclaimed debut album, 12 Stories, plus her co-songwriting efforts with fellow singer-songwriter, the quirky (and totally loveable) Kacey Musgraves has seen her projected to the fore front of the mind of fans of real country music and others too.
Some songs on the album are given fuller arrangements than expected, this could well be just down to me! Anyway, the album is well produced by Jay Joyce, and with Clark’s small town upbringing giving great insight into the subjects she has chosen; homecoming queen, soap opera, “Girl Next Door” this is where she compares her own character as being the complete opposite; for instead of the perfect girl next door she is the perfect mess! While the songs aren’t necessarily the story of her family there is some truth scattered here and there. One song, something she has been edging to write since before 9/11 heart-tugging ballad “Since You’ve Gone To Heaven” is especially poignant. Inspired by the death of her father who was killed at work it addresses the aftermath of losing someone close to you. Dotted with the lines ‘pawning his pocket watch to get out of jail, and how since he went to heaven the world has gone to hell’. Signs on every store fronts say they are all up for sale; inspired by her father’s death and the after match of 9/11 and how the economy slumped Clark uses artistic licence to build a story on this and with a little imagination deliver a killer of a song.
Clark’s ability to bring out pure as mountain stream emotions aren’t restricted to the song for you also have teasing ballad, “You Can Come Over” to go with the moving rural heartbreak song “Broke” and for entertainment “Soap Opera”. Which comes from the angle of a hairdresser as she speaks of stories exchanged under and otherwise, the hair drier.
Whipping up a funky storm “Big Day In A Small Town” speaks of a girl who gives birth during geometry class. Not an everyday event no matter where you were raised. The struggle on a one-parent mother with three young kids is the subject of broken home story ballad “Three Kid’s No Husband”. Steeped in raw honesty it strikes a chord all too familiar with struggling singled parent women trying to hold it together.
Others of note include the quick footed and cheery “Daughter” and on slowing it down some she delivers quirky honky tonk delight “Drinkin’ Smokin’ Cheatin’” (awash in riveting, tongue in cheek humour it is the only solo songwriting cut on the record and jumps up at you).
Maurice Hope
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