URL: https://tennesseebackwater.com/

They present an unified front. Few, if any, listeners will doubt each band member’s continued religious faith in a world where they sense foes lurking at every turn. There’s unquestionably more than a little darkness shadowing Tennessee Backwater’s “In God We Trust” – the song’s bitter reality is that putting faith in their creator seems to be all the band can do during these increasingly perilous times.

Tennessee Backwater imposes an anthemic structure on the song. It has a sound and tone leaning far more to the rock side of the musical ledger, but “In God We Trust” moves the unit far from its country roots. Many will hear Southern rock influences in the song’s arrangement and instrumentation. It is surprising that Daniels, the Elder brothers, Jason Tucker, and Cash Callaway share the songwriting credit for “In God We Trust” as each aspect of the track sounds like the product of a single unwavering voice.

The recent Presidential election spotlights how songs such as this resonate with more Americans than ever. However, it speaks to a larger audience. Global listeners can hear the yearning for lost Edens in the lyrics for “In God We Trust” and how keeping your grip on life’s timeless foundational elements provides ballast when the world is topsy-turvy around you. “In God We Trust” has a longer reach than you might think.

It definitely illustrates their continued growth as songwriters and performers. “In God We Trust” promises a lot from its live performances. It isn’t difficult to imagine a large crowd singing along with a handful of the song’s passages, and Tennessee Backwater’s members are undoubtedly aware of its communal potential. It doesn’t sound or seem cheap.

There’s nothing cheap about the song’s video. Tennessee Backwater relies on the same directness in its visual presentation that sustains its musical identity. As a result, they connect early with viewers. None of the band members are especially shy in front of the camera. They bring a sense of commitment and stakes to their individual and collective performances that help make the promotional clip all the more impactful.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-god-we-trust-single/1772461263

The songwriting’s ability to tap into the current Zeitgeist isn’t premeditated or cooked up for financial success. Tennessee Backwater’s limited prior releases and this new single equally attest to their love of honest, gut-level songs that never insult listeners with pretentious twaddle. They aren’t trying to sell you anything. They are performing for you, expressing themselves with seemingly boundless passion, and delivering material they quite clearly believe in.

The future is bright for this outfit. Tennessee Backwater’s “In God We Trust” marries seriousness of intent with gripping music and intelligent arranging. We can expect that the band’s songwriting prowess will continue expanding with each new release, and “In God We Trust” will mark a watershed moment for the band. It’s every bit as impressive after the tenth listen as it is during the first. Seek it out today, and rest assured you won’t be disappointed.

Mark Druery

Debuting with such a thoroughly realized effort like Into the West sets a daunting bar to clear for the future. Arizona-born seventeen-year-old Birdie Nichols’ first collection is a tightly focused nine song collection showing satisfying diversity rather than relying on formula. A surprising amount of relatively ingenious wordplay powers many of the songs and it makes for an interesting marriage with the often rootsy arrangements. Instrumental breaks are at a premium. This isn’t a song cycle designed to highlight pseudo-virtuosic showcases but, instead, examples of condensed songcraft. Into the West is an astonishingly complete listening experience.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/birdienichols07/

It definitely embraces a particular language. The verbiage of “Into the Wild”, the album’s opener, mines the vernacular of the American West, even reaching back into the region’s history, and it stays an abiding aspect of the collection’s character. Nichols wrestles the lyrics’ phrasing demands with relaxed skill and interjects each line with immense character. “Into the Wild” presents one of the bedrock faces of her musical identity with this song, but it’s far from the only stylistic card she plays.

Proof of that arrives fast. “Tough as Diamonds” is one of Into the West’s most appealing numbers. It takes the relatively unusual step of beginning with the chorus. However, it is a move that pays off. Nichols propels listeners to a dazzling early peak and maintains that level of excellence throughout the cut. Sturdy arrangements are one of the things working in the favor of Into the West’s songs and “Tough as Diamonds” is one of the best.

“Blue Lighting Ambush” is one of the album’s centerpiece tracks. One of the underrated qualities running throughout the album’s nine songs is its affinity for theatricality. She never overexaggerates, and its light touch invests the album’s mood with added drama. Pretentiousness is never a risk. However, Nichols returns to far more traditional territory without losing a step. “No Cattle Kind of Cowboy” is a boisterous and feisty performance that gets under your skin with a single listen. Her ability to contemporize western imagery and deliver it in relatable fashion continues setting her apart from the pack. The sleek, full-throated production enveloping the instrumentation adds a final decisive touch.

“Gunslinger” is one of Into the West’s most highly stylized gems. The steady near-careening pace of the performance contrasts nicely with the bracing presence that Nichols’ vocals provide. It’s a testament to the quality of Into the West’s material that they can branch out like they do here without any fear of upsetting the album’s consistency. You can hear confidence in this performance, and it helps carry the day. “Desert Lilies Blooming” is an obvious pick for a single release and represents Into the West quite nicely. The song’s storytelling has a greater chance of success if its imagery connects, and there’s no doubt it does during this track. The chorus is especially a winner.

“Golden Fields of the Sun” is a powerful conclusion. It has a lightly grandiose feel that engages listeners from the outset and has arguably the finest lyrics included on Into the West. There’s very little that this album doesn’t do and there isn’t an instance of filler found among the nine tracks (ten counting the bonus acoustic reworking of “Blue Lightning Ambush”). It’s a thoroughly rewarding release.

Mark Druery

The Grascals are as lively as ever. Their new release 20 marks the two-decade point in the band’s history, but it never feels or sounds like a summation. Instead, 20’s thirteen songs sound like the band is clearing the decks for the future.

All bluegrass fans should welcome this.

Over twenty years, The Grascals established themselves as one of the most unique, forward-thinking yet faithful, and inventive bluegrass acts ever. They’ve exhibited unquestionable fidelity to the genre while allowing delightfully restless creativity to reshape their stylistic possibilities. Reinvention isn’t anything new to them. They embrace tradition but aren’t content with the status quo. Two decades of The Grascals proves, time after time, that they are willing to test limits, push the envelope, and provide listeners with first-rate examples of what drew them into bluegrass music.

URL: https://grascals.com/

“Tennessee Hound Dog” amply shows their allegiance to the past. Bluegrass is in their blood, and they play with such focused intensity that the collected band performance during this song locks in so tight it sounds like a single aural animal, moving as one, rather than disparate parts blending to form the whole. “Some People Make It” changes things up. The songwriting hails from the blues tradition but naturally works well within a bluegrass context. Singing and vocal harmonies are, of course, one of the band’s chief strengths, and “Some People Make It” provides them with a chance to flex another side of their vocal skill.

The album’s burgeoning diversity further expands with “I Need a Night Off”. I didn’t know what to expect going into this song, perhaps a bitter reflection on working too hard, and The Grascals don’t disappoint. They turn the traditional meaning of the phrase on its end and craft it as a plea for forgetfulness, even temporary, soaked in booze, and bereft. They acquit themselves nicely with this entry in the classic country ballad tradition, albeit steeped in bluegrass.

“Reflection” ventures into more uncharted territory for this collection. It has a wide-open folk vibe adorned with reliable and familiar bluegrass motifs. The Grascals return to the love-haunted landscape of the earlier “I Need a Night Off” for another ballad, “The First Step”. This song adopts much stronger language than its predecessor, but the message fundamentally remains the same. The vocal phrasing does an excellent job of accentuating the moment’s dramatic qualities without ever overstating it.

“Jenny” is another album peak that comes late in the release. Pedal steel guitar punctuates this languid country crawl, and a quasi-duet style dominates the bulk of the vocals. It differs stylistically from its predecessors but never moves The Grascals outside their wheelhouse. 20 concludes with the deeply felt “Come Jesus Come”, and it’s a final nod to tradition delivered in a thoroughly modern context. This final gesture of beauty ends The Grascals’ new album the way that a single leaf falls from a tree in the fall – gossamer-like, gentle, and wafting through the air. It’s a moving ending to a fantastic album and shows that The Grascals have a lot more to say.

Mark Druery

Rock Hearts’ Unfinished Bridges is easily one of the best bluegrass releases I’ve recently heard. The New England-based outfit has a predilection for taking non-bluegrass songs that invariably lend themselves to that style and making them over as bluegrass tracks. The thirteen cuts included on Unfinished Bridges show that they possess an excellent instinct for knowing what will and won’t work for them. Rock Hearts tosses in an added four songs penned or co-composed by band members Billy Thibodeau, mandolin, and Alex MacLeod, guitar. The added dollop of the personal helps push an already outstanding album over the edge into greatness.

URL: https://rockheartsbluegrass.com/

“Unfinished Bridges” doesn’t mince words. Mark Brinkman and Eric Gnezda’s pained songwriting overflows with regret. However, there’s an ultimately life-affirming quality as well. The fact that the speaker, and us, survived the litany of losses and thwarted happiness long enough to set it down in song is a victory. The accompanying instrumental fireworks are a victory, as well – for the players and listeners alike. “Unfinished Bridges” scales impressive heights on the back of its musical interplay, and the resulting aural magic will leave all but the most cynical listeners spellbound.

Pairing the title cut with the second song, “Walk Away”, makes for a memorable one-two punch. Understated hooks galore practically spill out of this song, and Rock Hearts takes advantage of the moment with a hard-hitting performance. It makes use of the song’s plentiful strengths. However, this isn’t an artist leading with their best material and reserving the remainder of the album for their low lights.

Songs such as “I Know It’s Wrong to Love You” are worth the price of purchase alone. Rock Hearts makes no secret of the considerable debt they owe their country music influences, and “I Know It’s Wrong to Love You” broadcasts them in an unmitigated fashion. It’s a forlorn cry of the heart in the best tradition of that type of country song and avoids any empty histrionics along the way. The hell-bent-for-leather tempo of “Before I Met You” never means Rock Hearts must sacrifice nuance to please listeners.

It’s bursting with the same exuberant musicianship propelling earlier performances. Retro elements are a big part of its appeal, but it casts its net wider than that. The arrangement’s physicality engages listeners with seemingly little effort, and an underrated amount of humor runs through the lyrical content. It checks all the boxes but with surprising aplomb. “Tall Stands of Timber” is one of the album’s songwriting masterclasses. Rock Hearts does an exemplary job of bringing its cinematic virtues to life for listeners without ever focusing the majority of its attention on the lyrical content. It’s a well-rounded effort, and the instrumental talents shine bright.

Alex MacLeod’s “Let Me Be the Best Bible” is an improbable winner. His songwriting hits upon a genuinely unique variation on a time-tested genre theme. The musical accompaniment is straightforward, unadorned with gloss, and steady from beginning to end. The finale, “I Hardly Ever Think of You”, is classic country/bluegrass songwriting, tongue in cheek while shedding a tear, and will pull listeners in with its appealing progression and sound. Unfinished Bridges doesn’t have a weak spot; some songs, yes, are better than others, but they are all good. It’s one of the most satisfying recent bluegrass releases and should rank high on any fan of the genre’s must-hear list.

Mark Druery

URL: https://www.dallasstringquartet.com/

It doesn’t shirk an inch from dealing with weighty matters. A visit to the former Dachau Concentration Camp and an encounter with its Romani memorial moved Zanca, born of Romani ancestry, to envision this release as a tribute and memorial to the life-affirming spirit and battered but unbowed endurance of the Romani in the face of abominations. “Brewing Conflict”, the first track, is an undeniably physical performance that I think anyone who thinks classical music is “boring” should hear. The lyricism, virtuoso skill, and ceaseless imagination of the piece are equally affecting.

“Letters of Pain” goes in a different direction while retaining the identity established by the EP opener. Anguish is rife throughout this piece. The Dallas String Quartet does not express such emotions through crass histrionics, but instead conveys the grieving spirit of suffering people through heartfelt melodies. I find this to be one of the EP’s best moments. The musicians develop abundant dynamics incrementally; the compositional instincts of this release are to never show its cards at once. Instead, the Dallas String Quartet draws us into its web with immense skill. I believe you will finish this performance as breathless as I was after first hearing the cut.

“Key to Heaven” is one of the EP’s zeniths. Dallas String Quartet layers immense nuance throughout the piece, and the track’s second half is especially outstanding. It is as if it is a final release from the horrors the Romani survive. The sensitivity of the violin playing during the song’s coda weaves perhaps the EP’s most memorable moment. “Sangre Gitana” is its equal. Many will find it even greater.

I didn’t expect to hear guitar. Pairing the six-string with Dallas String Quartet’s classical foundation isn’t a groundbreaking move, but it caught me off guard. It doesn’t dominate the performance. Zanca and his performing partners keep a great balance between the various musical elements, never leaning too far in a particular direction, and it gives the track remarkable cohesion. The final curtain of “Rhapsody for the Romani” moves between raw emotion and intense displays of musical skill – but it is never emptily cerebral. The Dallas String Quartet’s approach to classical music is notable for scores of reasons. Their talent for delivering classical music in a way that’s accessible to any listener is perhaps most notable. It serves them well with such a dark subject, but I applaud them for shining an irrepressible light through the darkness.

Mark Druery

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/blondeandgreyband/?hl=en

Blonde & Grey is more than just a band; they are a testament to the enduring power of musical collaboration and creativity. Having originally come together at a local weekly jam, Kathy and Neil have honed their craft through years of live performances and a deep passion for music. What began as a casual collaboration quickly evolved into something much more profound, culminating in the formation of Blonde & Grey—a name that’s as witty as it is indicative of their shared history and musical influences.

The duo’s previous album, Face the Music, showcased their ability to craft compelling narratives through songs like “Mud Mills Road” and “Gracie’s Grace.” With Drifting Through The Universe, they continue to build on this foundation, offering listeners a sonic journey that’s as expansive as it is intimate.

Drawing inspiration from classic acts like The Moody Blues and Fleetwood Mac, Blonde & Grey seamlessly blend emotive vocals with the timeless allure of the flute, creating a soundscape that’s both familiar and refreshingly original. The album’s title track, “Drifting Through The Universe,” encapsulates this ethos perfectly, with its ethereal melodies and contemplative lyrics that explore themes of love, loss, and the passage of time.

“All The Time,” the album’s lead single, is a testament to Blonde & Grey’s ability to craft pop-rock anthems that are both catchy and meaningful. The song’s upbeat tempo and infectious chorus are sure to resonate with listeners, while its introspective lyrics provide a deeper layer of emotional resonance. It’s a perfect introduction to the album and a strong indication of what’s to come.

But it’s not just the music that sets Blonde & Grey apart. Kathy and Neil’s chemistry is palpable, both on stage and in the studio. Their live performances, whether in front of a special audience or via live streaming, are a testament to their dedication to their craft and their commitment to connecting with their fans. The duo’s playful nature and genuine love for what they do shine through in every note they play, making their music all the more relatable and enjoyable.

In Drifting Through The Universe, Blonde & Grey have crafted an album that’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination. It’s a collection of songs that invite listeners to pause, reflect, and drift through the vast expanse of human experience, all while being anchored by the duo’s signature sound.

As Blonde & Grey continue to release singles in the coming months, it’s clear that they are a band that’s just hitting their stride. With their unique blend of classic influences and modern sensibilities, Kathy Olsen and Neil Friend have created something truly special—an album that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to their music, Drifting Through The Universe is an album that’s well worth the journey.

Mark Druery

Lorrie Morgan hasn’t let the passage of time dampen her talents or drive to record music. Her new collection Dead Girl Walking has the same vibrancy and musicality that has characterized Morgan’s work throughout her recording history. The same inspiration present in her 1992 classic Something in Red, a decade-defining effort that still lingers in the memories of country music fans. Aging hasn’t robbed her vigor.

URL: https://lorrie.com/

It hasn’t dulled her unbridled heart. There’s a lot of proof for that in the album’s opener “Hands on You”. The lyrics portray Morgan’s craven desire with artful skill. Horns duel with reverb-driven guitar work over an irresistible drum beat that keeps the song percolating from the first. It’s a lean and hyper-focused opening for the album. She re-directs her musical energies for the second track. Placing the album’s title song this early in the track listing is a show of self-assurance on Morgan’s part. It’s a justified move.

“Dead Girl Walking” has a steady marching tempo with an assortment of guitar flourishes and fills scattering musical exclamation points throughout the arrangement. She sings about trying to go on after a broken relationship with such an emphatic feeling that you live through the pain with her. It’s the mark of a great singer. Another mark of great vocalists is the ability to shift gears. She transitions seamlessly from the balladry of “Dead Girl Walking” into the relaxed traditional country of “Me and Tequila”.

It’s a song you could play strictly for laughs, but Morgan refrains. Instead, “Me and Tequila” develops as a patient musical character study. There are occasions to find humor throughout the song, but she doesn’t interpret it for the yuck-yuck factor alone. Morgan hits on an undercurrent of sadness present in the subject matter and exploits it with great skill. It may be one of the album’s sleeper gems. The guitar work deserves notice as well. Solid acoustic playing lays down the song’s groundwork as electric guitar adornments fill the performance with attention-grabbing color.

“Mirror, Mirror” generates slowly evolving gravitas. It begins in stark fashion, piano and Morgan’s voice locked in duet, and builds incrementally. Her talent for realizing a powerful ballad is at its peak with this track. It’s impressive how she keeps a steady hand at the wheel as “Mirror, Mirror” never veers into ham-fisted theatrics. It’s a fantastic and moving performance. Measured keyboard playing and Morgan’s upper register vocal pyrotechnics are crucial strengths of “What Will I Do?”, but that’s not all that’s working in its favor. This Mickey Newbury-authored tune arguably features the album’s best lyrical content and Morgan fully realizes its worth for listeners.

“I Almost Called Him Baby by Mistake” is another lyric showcase. Written by Larry Gatlin, a country music legend, Lorrie Morgan again shows her keen ear for great material. It is more beholden to traditional country music than many other Dead Girl Walking cuts but never cliched. Lorrie Morgan’s Dead Girl Walking is full of high points and breathtaking performances that other artists never reach or deliver. She is still an elite talent decades after her debut, and this new collection ranks among her finest work.

Mark Druery

When passion, discipline, and talent collide, the effect is combustible. Few releases in recent memory demonstrate that better than Rob Alexander’s mammoth 2023 pop masterpiece Young Man’s Eyes.

Anyone who has followed Alexander’s journey up to this point knows that he’s been building to this moment. His preceding releases are noteworthy efforts in their own right and each new collection has engineered a near quantum leap from its predecessor. However, the baker’s dozen worth of tracks on Young Man’s Eyes is a watershed deserving of the Album of the Year award for multiple reasons.

He manages to convincingly be all things to all listeners. Young Man’s Eyes doesn’t depend on the heartfelt balladry that Alexander has produced with such singular skill but instead serves up such moments alongside biting rock, kaleidoscopic pop, challenging arrangements, and an elastic sense of the possible.

Another reason is that Alexander is truly his own artist, at last. Young Man’s Eyes successfully assimilate his influences in a way its predecessors don’t always manage, filters them through his consciousness and personal experiences, resulting in songwriting and performances with no clear-cut antecedent. He owns the moment, and it is his alone.

(2023) ALBUM OF THE YEAR – Rob Alexander “Young Man’s Eyes” (LP)

His taste in collaborators pays off handsomely. His duet with longtime respected vocalist Gigi Worth on the album’s first single “Get Over Yourself” served immediate notice that something special was in the offing. Alexander, transformed, made it clear that playtime was over and he stood ready to confront listeners in ways previous material never broached.

Accomplishing this while maintaining a thriving medical practice is another feather in his cap. Despite laboring under extraordinary demands on his time, Rob Alexander’s Young Man’s Eyes never feels or sounds rushed. He sounds like he began the recording process hearing a specific sound in his head for each of the thirteen songs and attacked nailing each performance with a sense of purpose bordering on fanatical. There are no missed opportunities.

It is extraordinarily rare to hear an album, especially in the pop realm, where you perceive no identifiable holes. Recruiting top-notch musicians to help him realize his musical ambitions serves Alexander well, but the alumni from Elton John’s touring band and other guest stars aren’t present because the check cleared. They’re here because they believe. They hear the glorious sound that escapes Alexander when he opens his mouth to sing and they want to be a part of his journey.

It is a journey that is far from over. Young Man’s Eyes, however, is far from just another mile marker on that voyage. It’s a seminal moment when a splendid butterfly emerges from its cocoon and takes flight through the air. It’s that spectacular moment that music devotees are familiar with when it all comes together for a band or solo artist.

It’s a no-brainer to bestow Rob Alexander’s Young Man’s Eyes with IndieShark’s 2023 Album of the Year award. It has been a long time coming, but the best part is that he isn’t done. We may do this many more times before the book closes on this career. We say, bring it on.

Read my original review posted back in July 2023: https://indieshark.com/awards/pick-of-the-week/rob-alexander-young-mans-eyes-lp/

Once again congratulations to Rob Alexander for his amazing Album “Young Man’s Eye’s”#robalexanderalbumoftheyear

URL: https://viennacc.musicprosite.com/

The song begins, and there is a sense of inevitability to it. We know where it’s taking us: toward that liminal space between the weekday grind and the expansive, shimmering potential of Saturday and Sunday. The beat pulses with that familiar urgency, clean and purposeful, and the synths hover in the air like neon in a rain-slick city street at party time. It’s not just music, it’s a mood, distilled and bottled for mass consumption. And yet, despite this familiarity, it doesn’t feel tired. ViennaCC works within the confines of the expected, but there’s something in the way he assembles it that demands attention. You find yourself leaning into the sound, unable to resist the gravitational pull of it.

There is a precision to this man’s work. He is not given to excess. The production is sleek, with no room for clutter or chaos. Everything fits, everything has its place: the beats sharp as glass, the bass a steady drive beneath it all, the synths threaded through with such care they never overpower. This is a song made by someone who understands restraint, who knows how to give a track room to breathe. It doesn’t ask for your attention. It commands it, in that effortless way that only well-crafted pop music can.

And then there are the lyrics. You aren’t looking for profundity here, nor does ViennaCC pretend to offer it. He is not interested in complexity. The words are simple, a mantra of release. The chorus repeats until it sticks, like an earworm you can’t shake. But isn’t that the point? In a world of overcomplicated metaphors and overwrought emotions, here is something you don’t have to decipher. The simplicity is the appeal. You don’t think; you feel. It is an invitation to participate, to join in this collective exhale.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/viennacc/128989292

The music video, of course, serves as its visual counterpart. ViennaCC, who is no stranger to the camera—he has written books on photography and video production—knows how to tell a story in images as well as sound. He gives us a steampunk smorgasbord spinning through city streets, a sense of endlessness. It’s a weekend distilled into three and a half minutes, a snapshot of joy before Monday inevitably looms again. The video is not revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be. It works because it knows what it is.

ViennaCC, the one-man band, the DIY producer, writer, director, is the kind of artist who thrives in the spaces between labels and categories. There is something raw in his work, a freedom that comes from creating on your own terms. He builds these tracks, these experiences, without the weight of expectation pressing down on him. And maybe that’s why “Weekend Mood” feels both polished and personal. It is music stripped of pretense, music that invites you to feel, to be in the moment.

By the time the song fades out, you realize what ViennaCC has done. He has captured a fleeting, universal moment and made it into something tangible. “Weekend Mood” is not just a song; it’s an artifact of the collective need to break free, to celebrate the ordinary miracle of two days that belong to you and no one else. It is the anthem for that moment when the clock strikes five and, for just a little while, the world is yours again.

Mark Druery

URL: https://kbust.com/

It’s my first exposure to her considerable talents. “Stronger”, the album’s first song, enthralled me with a single listen. K-Bust’s lyrics benefit from a willingness to confront vulnerabilities and take chances rather than contenting themselves with well-worn cliches. Synth or electro-pop may imply that these are glossy and even toothless affairs. It’s far from their reality. “Stronger” packs a heavy punch while remaining vibrant and light throughout.

“Heartbeat” is poppier fare. Deeming it such doesn’t mean that it’s less substantive. Meaningful lyrical content continues to impress me, and utilizing a bouncy, effervescent arrangement makes for entertaining listening. I hear K-Bust making a case for her vocal flexibility at various points, and comparing “Heartbeat” with songs like the opener nicely illustrates that. “Until I Let You In” supplies us with a notable contrast. It mixes the attributes of the previously mentioned tracks into a potent brew, and subtle touches such as the synthesized guitar add further variation. Also, it has an interesting tempo that gets under your skin.

Another of my favorite moments on the recording comes with the cut “Dream”. K-Bust does an exceptional job of incorporating anthemic elements into Rebirth’s songs without making them sound shallow. There’s no pandering for the audience’s attention. Each of Rebirth’s ten songs strikes me as honest reflections of K-Bust’s personality rather than craven attempts to curry favor with a specific audience. “The Love That Got Away” shares similar qualities. Anthemic tendencies are apparent throughout the performance, and the up-tempo pacing makes for an exhilarating listening experience. She uses double-tracking to fatten her vocals without sacrificing the core values of her voice.

The penultimate performance, “Tattooed in My Mind”, retreats from anthemic attributes. It has a far more varied dynamic range than songs like “The Love That Got Away”, but never ventures too far from Rebirth’s foundational elements. It’s an excellent prelude to the album’s last track. “Like a Storm” embraces the turbulence implied by the title while continuing to pursue a wider dynamic scope than the album’s anthem-like performances. Other artists may have closed their album with a heavy-handed climax or a musical curveball. However, K-Bust keeps the same consistency that distinguishes the preceding nine tracks. It closes Rebirth on an emotional high that I won’t soon forget.

K-Bust’s Rebirth features her working at or near the peak of her powers. I’m glad to be acquainted with her music. I won’t stop with this one, and nor should you.

Mark Druery