Country music is at its best (in my opinion) when honest songwriting, expressive vocals and a road/barroom-tested band come together.
Kentucky country singer-songwriter Kelsey Waldon brings the first two, and her longtime touring band The Muleskinners bring the third on her new album, Every Ghost.
Take the thundering "Tiger Lilies," one of many standout moments across the album's nine tracks. It's an ode to Waldon's late grandma, referencing the countless moments that remind the singer of her.
With the bass and drums staying the course, fiddle, baritone guitar and pedal steel have free roam to build the atmosphere. The imagery — redbird songs, tomatoes ripe on the vine, leaves dripping with morning dew, tiger lilies blooming — is beautiful, and when most of the band makes way for Waldon on the third verse, her vocal range and Kentucky drawl are on full display.
Every Ghost is Waldon's sixth album and her second on Oh Boy Records, founded by country music legend John Prine. It's her most personal album to date, dealing with loss, addiction and family.
On "Falling Down," the singer paints a bleak picture of a man suffering from alcohol addiction. Sung in the first person, there's a tenderness and compassion to the subject that comes from Waldon's own struggles with alcohol. In the song, the narrator is aware of the damage he's doing but cannot break the patterns without the help of others.
Waldon has been sober since 2020, something she references when driving past a liqour store on the song "Comanche." The title is in reference to a rare truck version of Jeep's popular Cherokee SUV, a vehicle the singer went out of her way to acquire, as she explains in the above video.
The specifics of the vehicle are less important than the unique type of contemplation and mind clearing that driving aimlessly by yourself can bring.
Every Ghost closes with its only cover, a slow waltzing version of Kentucky bluegrass legend Hazel Dickens' "Ramblin' Woman." Dickens was one of the first women to record a bluegrass album, known for her staunchly pro-union and feminist songwriting.
It's a perfect fit for Waldon and her band, fitting not only their skills but also the overall themes of the album. Without prior knowledge of Dickens' version, there would be no way to know it's a cover.
Country music is alive and well in Kelsey Waldon.
Must Listens
- "Ghost of Myself"
- "Comanche"
- "Tiger Lilies"
- "Falling Down"
- "Let It Lie"
- "Ramblin' Woman"
