Ashley McBryde was born to sing about compromised hopes, hard-won victories and dreams deferred. The Arkansas-born country singer released one of the favorite albums of 2018 (Girl Going Nowhere) and one of my favourite songs of 2019 (“One Night Standards”). Both are stunning, deeply human portrayals of everyday life. Two years ago, Ashley McBryde was Nashville’s new avatar of authenticity. She’d been putting indie albums out since 2006, but McBryde had made her biggist splash with 2018’s Girl Going Nowhere, a powerful piece of tough blue-collar country music. With her follow-up, though, McBryde shows us just how much she can do: blazing Southern-rock rippers, tenderly gospel-inflected ballads, a weirdly charming album closer about the history of styrofoam. She writes tremendous hooks and delivers them in a honeyed seen-it-all drawl. But she’s also a restless, fiery talent and a true explorer. She’s too real to be a simple symbol of realness.
If you’re looking for the next Kacey Musgraves — a major genre-exploding star with roots on the outskirts of mainstream country — this is the pony to bet on. McBryde was nominated for a Grammy in 2019 and two more for 2020, and I’m willing to bet that’s just the beginning.
Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards” is available now!
The Fat Angel Sings 