Vocalist, guitarist and percussionist GracieHorse pens an autobiographical album here, as we get to take a peek into the last five years of her life, where she hurt her neck while working as a nurse during the pandemic, which subsequently left her unemployed and into a creative spurt that birthed these nine tracks.
“Hollow Head” is the lead off tune, and it doesn’t take long to make an impression with its warm pedal steel from Connor Gallagher and Ben Varian’s fluid drumming alongside GracieHorse’s warm guitar and distinct voice. Though the first tune is heavily influenced by country music, “By The Light Of His White Stetson” follows with a bit of haze and mystery thanks to Ian Doerr’s frisky percussion and Mike Winther’s moody guitar.
The middle of the record is populated by Madelyn Struz’s hypnotic banjo and Elliot Kemper’s atmospheric violin that suits GracieHorse’s artistic voice on “Northwind”, while “Backup Slowly” is flawless classic country thanks to Jeremy Pfau’s playful piano and Noah Kohll’s infectious bass lines that are made for the dance floor.
Deeper still, “If You’re Gonna Walk That Straight Line Son, It’s Only Gonna Hurt” places Aaron Olson on bass and Ben Varian behind the drum kit for the cautious roots rocker, and “Words Of The New West” exits with a dreamy, nearly spiritual angle that gallops with a dusty template of thumping drums, rugged guitars and acrobatic bass work by Luke Csehak.
Although she calls Los Angeles home, GracieHorse spent much time living in Wyoming as a traveling nurse, simultaneously soaking up the country music scene there. That experience gives this body of work an authentic spirit, where her cowboy music is forthright and balances humor and heartbreak with a poise that seems wiser than her years.
