Reviews

Some might insist that comparing Rayland Baxter to Paul Simon is inappropriate, the likening of a go-kart to a Mercedes. But that would be overly reductive and dismissive of Baxter\’s burgeoning talent. Baxter isn\’t a carbon copy of Simon, to be sure, but how can anyone listen to “Mr. Rodriguez” and not hear the similarities…

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Since the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum began its annual artist-in-residence program back in 2003, only two women have graced its stage — Connie Smith, in 2012, and Rosanne Cash, this year. Last night marked Cash\’s first-of-three performances at the Hall with a nearly three-hour performance, during which she and her band played…

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Folk-pop maven Jonatha Brooke hasn\’t toured a whole lot in recent years and so was met with easy, eager applause from a roomful of Nashville fans on Sunday night at City Winery. Brooke has long been one of the most literate songwriters in the business, playing with words and imagery like few others… save maybe Neil Finn.…

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From the first notes out of her mouth, Ruby Amanfu makes it perfectly clear why everyone from Jack White to Weezer wants to sing with her. Quite simply, she\’s one of the most elegant singers and souls you\’ll ever encounter. And she pours herself into every single note of every single song. Such is the…

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Let\’s be clear about one thing right up front: Shelby Lynne can sing. Her soulful voice is nimble enough to belt one phrase and whisper the next. Even just the opening track of I Can\’t Imagine makes that point abundantly clear as its lyrics align themselves with her delivery: “I threw these colors down in…

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As soon as “If It Takes a Lifetime” opens Jason Isbell\’s Something More Than Free, it\’s obvious that the singer/songwriter did not make Southeastern: The Sequel. Quite the opposite, really. Southeastern overflowed with cutting lyrical that rock his fellow writers back on their heels in awe every time they hear them. Lines like this (from…

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Amanda Shires has an interesting way with both language and music. It\’s there in her conversation, and it\’s there in her songs. The way she chooses and collects words together in both is thoroughly endearing, and the way she winds melodies around them like so much silky twine is simply fascinating. Her melodies, you see,…

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After more than a decade away, Dolly Parton returned to Nashville\’s Ryman Auditorium last night for the first of two sold-out benefit shows. Greeted by a standing ovation, she got things started by saying, “For those who don\’t know me, I\’ll fill you in,” before heading into “Backwoods Barbie.” As she worked through an evening…

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There\’s a reason sophomore albums are considered a tough nut to crack. An artist has only a year or two to write a batch of tunes that stack up to the batch from their debut that they had their whole pre-debut life to write. Whether or not that debut was successful, the artist also has…

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Seeing as Muscle Shoals is not more than a hop, skip, and a jump or two from their home base in Nashville — and lead singer Gary Nichols grew up there — the SteelDrivers headed down that way for their new set, unceremoniously titled as The Muscle Shoals Recordings. But it sounds nothing like anything…

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