1. Anything But You
2. Rich Little Girls
3. No Cowboys
4. Married
5. Church Bus
6. Kentucky Blue
7. Saint Anthony
8. If You Don’t Wanna Love Me
This is an interesting project. A year ago, Brit released an album – Kentucky Blue which was produced by one of country music’s finest, Sturgill Simpson.
Taylor has taken 5 tracks from that album and 3 new tracks to re-imagine them into a bluegrass album. This time around, her husband, Adam Chaffins, a bluegrasser, has taken over the producing job.
Although bluegrass is in her genes and she professes that it was inevitable, she never considered herself a bluegrass gal.
It seems that she is a natural. The success of her album did not necessitate this ‘reconditioned’ venture but it is an intriguing experiment.
Bluegrass and country music have become kissing cousins, after acknowledging each other for years with a quiet nod but not admitting freely in public that they were related.
While country has expanded into 94 types (including bluegrass), bluegrass has tried to stand alone and stick to a purely traditional vibe. There was a trend towards newgrass a few years ago, but mama bluegrass has discretely taken that under her wing and they have worked out a truce and a compromise.
Brit seems to have embraced country and bluegrass and her style is unquestionably traditional, no matter what camp that she pitches her tent in.
I think the feud, once likened to that of the Hatfields and McCoys, has been resolved with the genres uniting to fight a bigger fight – to honour traditional music over Johnny come lately types.
There’s an interesting union between torch and twang, three chords and the truth and picking and mountain music here.
I can detect a bit of the mission and sound that Australia’s own Bluegrass Queen, Kristy Cox, has taken on.
Both gals can lean either way and in the end, good music is good music.
Brit Taylor can sing up a storm. She has a fine crew here to help her out and the band play like a well oiled machine but they are not over done, there is a relaxed, playful feel to this EEP (more than 4 tracks, less than 10).
I encourage you to open your ears, eyes and hearts to this artist and this album. It is pretty speccy.
Cowgirlup 