Loose (label)
20 January 2017 (released)
13 January 2017
Courtney Marie Andrews has always been determined to forge a career as a singer/songwriter. After leaving home aged 16 to chase her dreams, she has spent the last decade building the foundations of a career that is about to explode on to the global stage. Having collaborated with household names Jimmy Eat World and Damien Jurado, as she releases her sixth studio album, Honest Life, in the UK in the aftermath of a phenomenal commercial and critical response in the States, the pressure is on for her emulate the response on these shores.
With the album boasting the rare beauty that is Irene, which has already garnered the reputation as the modern day Parton classic Jolene, is Courtney Marie Andrews an artist that is worthy of the hype surrounding her? Or is simply the product of another well-structured publicity campaign?
The album, Honest Life, is aptly titled for an artist as low-key, raw and open as Courtney Marie Andrews. With a folk grounding and alternative edge, the collection is reminiscent of some of the greatest recording artists known. With a little bit of Bob Dylan, a hint of Joni Mitchell, a touch of Emmylou Harris and a drop of Dolly Parton, Courtney Marie Andrews is a singer who delivers truths from the heart and takes her listeners on a journey that they will never wish to forget.
With cleverly understated instrumentation, Courtney Marie Andrews' distinctively pure vocal is allowed the space it needs to really shine. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and very occasional pedal steel or electric, Courtney Marie Andrews clearly understands how to best evoke her abilities.
While her vocals are the star of the show, equally impressive is her lyrical imagery. With each song telling a distinctive story, she has the rare songwriting capability of perfectly painting a picture through her lyrics, with the more poignant moments really hitting you at your core.
With the collection working best as a whole, it is completely without a skip ahead moment. However current single and album opener Rookie Dreaming joins the aforementioned Stella and apologetic Put The Fire Out as album highlights.
While Courtney Marie Andrews may be a new name to most, we predict she will be a name everyone is dropping within 6 months.
