By Joshua Wallace
Decatur County Red is Jessi Alexander’s third record following her 2014 album titled Down Home. This is actually my first time listening to Jessi Alexander and you might be saying the same thing as it has been six years since her last album. However you possibly know her music as she has written several songs that have been both great deep cuts on mainstream albums and country radio hits. She has written songs for the likes of Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and even newer artists like Travis Denning. While she has written for a good list of top country radio names, this record is more in the traditional country realm and it has a really good sound in that respect. Let’s take a dive through some of the cuts on this album.
First up is the first single from the album titled “Mama Drank”. This is a great songwriters song that makes great use of setting and character to tell a story. The song has a bit of fun with the subject and I dig the low key electric guitar riff on this track. The next track is a song that originally appeared on a Tim McGraw album by the same name called “Damn Country Music”. I wanted more from McGraw’s cut of the song when I heard it and Jessi Alexander has delivered what I was hoping for here. The McGraw cut of the song sounded like something was lost in translation. However, you feel it here and Alexander’s cut has the solid country gold sound you would want from a song called “Damn Country Music.”
The album isn’t afraid to have fun either. The cut “Country Music Made Me Do It” featuring Randy Houser is a fun tongue in cheek duet about the influence of country music on good or bad decisions. It’s a fun and dance-able track that is fun to throw on during your living room quarantine dance parties. Finally, the song “Lonely Out Of Me” is a great vocal performance from Jessi and it’s a slower track that takes you back to classic country songs of the 60’s and 70’s.
This entire record is solid country gold and at only eight tracks you only get the good stuff. Jessi Alexander’s career up to this point may be defined by the songs she has written for others, but this is a top notch record that deserves to stand on its own. I hope that I get to see her live at some point in the future. In the meantime, you can check out her website and social media to find ways to support her during these crazy times. Decatur County Red is out everywhere as of March 27th, 2020.
Favorite Tracks : Mama Drank, Damn Country Music, Country Music Made Me Do It, Lonely Out Of Me, How I’m Going Out
Jessi Alexander – Decatur County Red (2020)
- Decatur County Red Feat. Johnathan Singleton
- Mama Drank
- Damn Country Music
- I Should Probably Go Now
- My Problem Is You
- Country Music Made Me Do It Feat. Randy Houser
- Lonely Out Of Me
- How I’m Going Out