By Joshua Wallace
Ashley McBryde appeared on many traditional country fan radars with her hit song “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega”. That song enjoyed a long life as a single having been released almost a year before her new album Girl Going Nowhere. That long lead time and some plugs from popular mainstream artists such as Eric Church have done that song a lot of good and as of press time it has over 2 million plays on Spotify which is amazing for a traditional artist making their major label debut. Girl Going Nowhere may have a more produced sound to it, however it does not stray from the traditional country sound you know from her previous releases like Jalopies & Expensive Guitars.
“A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega” was the perfect lead single for this record. It sets the tone and if you knew nothing of Ashley McBryde before this song, it lets you know you’re in for a more traditional country sounding album with some amazing songwriting. That continued with another single titled “American Scandal” which showcased more great songwriting in a track about forbidden love. “Radioland” rounds out the amazing trio of singles with a country rocker reminiscing about the days of families gathering around and listening to the radio together. McBryde namechecks great songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt and radio personalities like Casey Kasem in a great nostalgic track.
Another favorite from this album is “The Jacket”. It’s a simple nostalgic song about a jacket, but it’s something everyone can relate to. Everybody has the kind of jacket that shares all the memories you have of everywhere you’ve worn it. Another favorite is “Livin’ Next To Leroy” which tackles a subject not always approached in country music which meth use. Living in the south, everyone knows a Leroy or two and this song hits the nail on the head in describing the drug culture in the south. Finally, “Home Sweet Highway” is a nice slower song about life on the road and longing for all the things you miss at home. This track has a nice groovy bass line that would make for a good road song.
This album has been a long time coming. “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega” hit hard when it came out and it made the wait for the full album that much harder. There isn’t a bad song on “Girl Going Nowhere” from the acoustic opener to the slow and groovy closing track. Don’t skip this release, it’s a good one. Girl Going Nowhere is available everywhere music is sold right now.
Favorite Tracks : A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega, Radioland, American Scandal, Home Sweet Highway, Livin’ Next To Leroy, The Jacket
Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere (2018)
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Girl Goin’ Nowhere
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Radioland
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American Scandal
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Southern Babylon
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The Jacket
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Livin’ Next To Leroya
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Andy (I Can’t Live Without You)
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El Dorado
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Tired Of Being Happy
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Home Sweet Highway
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A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega
