Category: Quick Takes

Welcome to this second edition of Quick Takes, where we at Around The Country quickly give you a reason to give an album a listen in 200 words or less.

Alright folks, break out your favorite beverage and block out 40 minutes of your day…because this album is a good one.

Michaela Anne is a songwriter that is new to my playlist, but she entered my country music radar via her appearance on Live from Layman Drug Company.

If there is one defining trait of this album, it’s the careful craftmanship of each song. With the first song “By Our Design”, one can really get a taste of the sound of this album from a sonic standpoint. The haunting strings that start right on the downbeat give this album a theme of space and nostalgia. Each song on this album could be a title track, something that I find rare in other albums.

My favorite song off of Desert Dove has to be “Two Fools”. It’s a no-frills classic country song dripping in pedal steel that revolves around a complicated relationship. It doesn’t get more country than that.

Give Desert Dove a listen, and get lost in the space & vibes that make this album so special.

Welcome to this first edition of Quick Takes, where we at Around The Country quickly give you a reason to give an album a listen in 200 words or less.

First things first…If imagery and musicianship are part of your amazing album checklist, then please give this one a listen. Stop reading, and go listen.

Reading into this albums creation, it seems to be spawned out of a need to experiment with new and fresh ideas. None is more apparent than the percussive first track “Rains Come”. Listening back on previous albums, a lot of folk based instrumentation was present. The usual suspects, such as violin and banjo. But this album feels different. It feels vibrant and a little edgy. The folk elements are still there, but I feel they provide a good foundation for other experimental ideas to flourish.

My favorite moments of this album honestly was the way each song started. From the beautiful banjo melody of “Falling”, to killer acapella in “This Year”. Each song kept me guessing..I love that…and don’t get me started on the tasteful slide intro in “Something New”…I replayed that intro a couple times.

Go fill your weekend with this album…and catch The Steel Wheels in your town as they tour the country through November.