Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville

To say they dont make albums like Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville suggests the country landscape was once littered with records as loose, lewd, literate, and lively as this. Certainly, Lindeville has some antecedents, notably the songs of Tom T. Hall and the records namesake Dennis Linde, a legendary country songwriter whose career spanned from Elvis Presleys "Burning Love" in 1972 to the Chicks signature "Goodbye Earl" in 2000. McBryde uses the latter as the foundation for her Lindeville, a collection of character sketches and stories that depict a small town filled with large characters. To bring those personas to life, she brings in a large cast of guests, ranging from collaborators and co-writers Brandy Clark and Aaron Raitiere to Caylee Hammack, Pillbox Patti, and Brothers Osborne, whose John Osborne serves as the ringleader producer. The songs are tied together by commercials touting the businesses that occupy this bustling small town, sketches that emphasize the wit and mess that give the album its distinctive character. McBryde veers away from the muscular rock that underpinned Girl Going Nowhere and, to a lesser extent, Never Will, in favor of a rambling, shambling strum-along that emphasizes a collective voice while also echoing the progressive country of Tom T. and Roger Miller. Put simply, its a delight; its filled with deftly rendered vignettes and sly jokes, all delivered with heart by McBryde and frequent foil Raitiere, whose colorful drawl ensures the punch lines slide by easily. Maybe Lindeville doesnt sound like many records in 2022 -- although the fact that it overflows with kindred spirits shows McBryde isnt on her own island -- but the key to its appeal is that it creates its own little world, rooted somewhat in the past and addressing the present yet occupying its own distinct space. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine