Album Feature – Morgan Wade – Reckless

 News  Comments Off on Album Feature – Morgan Wade – Reckless
Mar 172021
 

By Joshua Wallace

It feels like I’ve been hearing about the name Morgan Wade for a couple of years now.  Whether she was opening for someone or had a buzzworthy YouTube video or a couple of singles on Spotify, Morgan Wade was always someone who was part of the conversation as an upcoming country artist to watch out for.  Well, that time is now.  She is about to release her debut album Reckless and I’m here to tell you, this is a good one.  This record is produced by Sadler Vaden and if you don’t know him, he’s the guitar player for Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit and a critically acclaimed solo artist in his own right.  That being said, this is a great guitar record.  You can’t always say that for a country album, but this one is.  Morgan Wade has a voice that would fit in with alt country or alt rock.  Her voice goes from smooth to a raspy growl that works well on a guitar record such as this.

The album kicks off with “Wilder Days” which is a fun song about wishing you had known a lover back when they were wilder.  It’s a good track to kick off the album as it straddles the line between country and rock like a lot of the record does. “Other Side” is another great track that reminds me of a mellow 90’s alt rock song like something Matchbox 20 would release.  It’s a song about seeing a relationship through the good and bad and coming out on the other side. I dig this vibe and it’s nice to hear songs like this on a good country record.  Another favorite is “Last Cigarette” which to my ears is a song that could play on mainstream radio as a crossover hit.  It’s a strong track both lyrically and the catchy instrumental takes it to another level.  It’s a track that compares the high of having a last night with a soon to be ex lover with the high of a smoker’s last cigarette before they quit.  The track “Met You” is a strong country ballad that acts as the album’s finale.  It’s about finding someone special at a low point in your life and I feel like it’s one of the best vocal performances in the album.

If you’re like me and have been hearing the name Morgan Wade over the past few years and have been hoping for a full album, this debut doesn’t disappoint.  It’s a country record that brings a strong rock vibe across it’s ten tracks.  Producer Sadler Vaden had done an amazing job capturing how Morgan Wade is a singer who can meet the tender moments of country music, but still rise to the occasion with some souring alt rock vocals. There isn’t a bad song on this record and I highly recommend giving it a listen.  Reckless is out everywhere as of March 19th, 2021 and I can’t wait for everyone to hear this one.     

Favorite Tracks : Wilder Days, Other Side, Don’t Cry, Mend, Last Cigarette, Northern Air

Buy the Album and Merch : https://morganwade.presspressmerch.com/

Morgan Wade – Reckless (2021)

  1. Wilder Days
  2. Matches and Metaphors
  3. Other Side
  4. Don’t Cry
  5. Mend
  6. Last Cigarette
  7. Take Me Away
  8. Reckless
  9. Northern Air
  10. Met You

Victoria Bailey Releases Acoustic Version Of Song “Skid Row” Today.

 News  Comments Off on Victoria Bailey Releases Acoustic Version Of Song “Skid Row” Today.
Mar 172021
 

One of my choices from last year on my Top 50 Of 2020 was none other than one of the younger ladies to emerge onto the scene by the name of Miss Victoria Bailey. Her vocals easily stood out among many of the other albums released by women artists last year….let me tell you why!

For those of you that do not know me, I have dedicated my life to being a jannisary of Country Music in every way. I have to know who played what on what songs, and places and dates, I have to know it all. I listen to music CONSTANTLY unless I’m sleeping, I use my bluetooth earbuds.

Her interest and passion for the Bakersfield Era of Country Music is one that also equally interests me as well. There were so many periods or eras of Country Music, and they were all integral to the evolution of the genre. However the Bakersfield Era was and is my favorite time period to study, even back as far as The Maddox Family.

I enjoyed the recording of the song as much as this live performance, and I eagerly await to see her live somewhere, I may even travel a great distance to see her. There is such a huge list of upcoming ladies in the Country music community, and if you love the ladies music like I do….it’s a great time frame to be alive.

Huntington Beach, CA-based classic country singer-songwriter Victoria Bailey is releasing a brand new, solo acoustic version of “Skid Row” today, February 26, 2021, via Rock Ridge Music. The original, full-band version of the song appeared on her album released last year, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline. The acoustic version of “Skid Row” is a standalone single and does not appear on the album. “Skid Row (Acoustic)” premiered on February 25th at Adobe & Teardrops, who wrote, “Victoria Bailey’s spin on classic country will scratch your itch for music that’s authentic and relevant to our times. Her debut album, Jesus, Red Wine, & Patsy Cline, is a warm collection of Bakersfield, western swing, and good old classic-style ballads.”

Says Bailey of the song: “‘Skid Row’ is a song deeply inspired by my curiosity of the ‘Bakersfield Sound’ and from digging deep into the history of the country music that came out of California. So many of my classic country heroes all came out of California – Buck Owens and Merle Haggard being two major ones for me. It was important for me to go into the studio to track a few of the album songs acoustically, because that truly represents who I have been as an artist for the past decade. Singing this song solo, in a room with one mic, is the most vulnerable version of myself and was such a beautiful way to put a cap on the year of promoting this record. It also is a really special way of turning the page to the new music I am getting ready to release.”

“Skid Row (Acoustic)” is the follow-up to several singles Bailey released in the fall of 2020: two versions of a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and a holiday cover of a song from The Band, “Christmas Must Be Tonight.” Her full-length debut, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline, was released on September 18, 2020. Produced by Jeremy Long, Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline was a whiskey-smooth concoction of crisp guitars, silky fiddle, and radiant pedal steel that expertly glides beneath Bailey’s magnetic, California sun-kissed soprano.

Always grounding Bailey’s timeless country music palette is her crystalline voice; an inviting warm tone with the occasional flutter that transports you back in time to a classic honky tonk, one where Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris were all in heavy rotation. Bailey brings the classic country spirit to the 21st century through relatably raw, non-sugarcoated songwriting, evoking a fiery, no-holds-barred lyrical approach in the vein of Margo Price.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey is unable to tour widely right now, although occasional in-person shows have started to creep back into her schedule. She kicked off her livestreaming in 2021 with online shows for Americana Highways as part of their “Live Music from the Quarantine” series in early January and early February, and fans eager to see her live can catch her there again for an additional show as part of that “residency” on Tuesday, March 2nd at 5:30 p.m. pacific time on the Americana Highways Facebook page. Bailey plans to livestream on her Instagram page on Tuesday, March 16th at 7 p.m. pacific time. Rounding out her scheduled performances, she will also be livestreaming as part of the “Live and Socially Distant” series on TheBoot.com’s Facebook page on Friday, April 2nd at 6 p.m. pacific time.

https://www.victoriabaileymusic.com/