Album Review – Ashley McBryde’s “Never Will”
Ashley McBryde was already considered one of the best artists from mainstream label crowd, and a bright spot for country music moving forward. With her new album Never Will, she cements her place as one of the best current artists in country music, period. Inspired, inspiring, well-performed and written, make ample room in your listening rotation for this one.
Ashley McBryde is country music that speaks to the also-rans of society: the dropouts, the single mothers, the spinsters, the bastards, those with bad tattoos and credit card debt. They’re not exactly hardened criminals (well, some of them probably are), but they damn sure ain’t saints either. Through broken homes and one night stands, they’re just trying to make the best of bad decisions and situations. But underpinning it all is a perseverance in the human spirit. Ashley McBryde offers a way out. And as someone who has risen out of the dregs of society to take center stage despite insurmountable odds herself, you believe her every word.
Once again McBryde teams up with producer Jay Joyce on this record, which means steel yourself for some mixed results. Ashley has never been straightforward country. As a limb that sprouted from the Eric Church tree, she has some rock ‘n roll tendencies that Jay Joyce is more than happy to exploit. A few electronic doo dads also find their way into the mix. But when the songs are this good, it sort of doesn’t matter what sounds accompany the listening experience.
And yet Never Will is also more country than you expect. “First Thing I Reach For” is stone cold country in both writing and style. So is the superbly-written “Stone”—one of the best songs on the record. There’s even a song called “Velvet Red” that sounds like it was piped through an AM radio circa 1950, which is a much better move than making a whole record sound scratchy to try an imbue it with a “soul” that doesn’t exist anyway like so many of today’s east Nashville albums. Ashley McBryde can’t help but have soul because if she sings it, she probably lived it.
“Martha Divine” may sound a bit more rock with its pounding drums in the verses, but at its heart this is simply a good ol’ murder ballad. But let’s not let Jay Joyce and the band completely off the hook. By the time they’re done with the song “Voodoo Doll,” you feel like you’ve listened to Lita Ford, and not in a favorable way. “Never Will” is the title track for a reason, and it’s similar to McBryde’s landmark “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” in the way it’s her life put to song. But it lacks the same intimacy, and the important message gets a little lost in the loudness.
But assign whatever style you want to the opening song “Hang In There Girl,” or the soaring “Sparrow.” These songs have the ability to uplift the spirit and inspire like few others can, and all while avoiding those sappy moments that make you feel silly for listening. Ashley McBryde is a soldier and a survivor, just like so many of us. This wasn’t our plan, or where our dreams would have taken us. But if we persevere, we can still end up on top, wherever or whatever the top is, just like Ashley McBryde did.
But now that she’s here—where the Grammy Awards and CMAs can’t go by without at least considering her, and even radio is starting to warm up to her songs—don’t expect Ashley McBryde to change like so many stars do when they get a little scratch in their pocket. Because ultimately she knows who she is an where she came from. She’s the anti-star, the also-ran who happened to make it despite the odds. She’s one of us. And that’s why when she sings, we listen, and believe it.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8.5/10)
– – – – – – – – – – – –
Purchase Ashley McBryde’s Never Will
Jerry Clower's Ghost
April 3, 2020 @ 9:34 am
This is primarily a really good heartland rock album, but “First Thing I Reach For” & “Velvet Red” are solid country gold.
This is a great week for releases from female artists. Check out Christy Lynn Band’s Sweetheart of the Radio. This album is a tour de force of amazing instrumentals, curiously cool lyrics, and really unique vocal stylings. If Amy Winehouse was a country singer, this is what she would have sounded like. This album is the way you would want to see a Yola album produced, Trigger. Absolute fire!
Jake Cutter
April 3, 2020 @ 12:57 pm
On first listen…that sounds great..especially the instrumentation..
Thanks for the tip.
Derek Sullivan
April 3, 2020 @ 9:39 am
I love it. Hang in There Girl, Sparrow, Never Will, First Thing I Reach For, Stone are so good. I’m still shocked McBryde released One Night Standards first instead of Hang in There Girl. I even kind of like Styrofoam.
My only drawback is Shut Up Sheila. It’s not that it’s a bad song. It’s just a lost opportunity. There lyrics are amazing, but Joyce really fumbled it. It’s okay, but it could have been great. Joyce tried too hard when he should have just left Ashley and her band play it simple.
And thank you Trigger for reviewing this awesome CD before Sam Hunt’s.
Aggc
April 3, 2020 @ 9:43 am
Love the album especially “Shut Up Shiela”, “Velvet Red”, and “First Thing I Reach For”. Really question including “Styrofoam” as the closing track. Things were going so well up until that point! 😉
Fran
April 3, 2020 @ 10:56 am
This is such an incredibly well-written album, delivered with absolute conviction. Ashley MvBryde is, by definition, the ultimate singer-songwriter-musician-performer package.
OlaR
April 3, 2020 @ 11:00 am
All Ashley McBryde releases on Google Play are still sold as Morgan Wallen stuff here. For 4-5 month now & Google Play gives a you-know-what about it.
The Good: the album is not…well…bad.
The Bad: Jay Joyce & no song comes close to “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega” or “Bible & A .44”.
The Ugly: “Voodoo Doll”. As a hidden track ok (…no not really)…but as track #5. One of the worst “country” tracks of the year.
The Result: a 9 track album (“Voodoo Doll” & “Styrofoam” are unnecessary & annoying).
New Stuff:
Suzie Candell – Restless – Album (10 Tracks) – Released (03/26)
Country music from the principality Liechtenstein. It’s the debut album & it’s a good one.
Suzie Candell mixes traditional leaning songs like “Whiskey & Why” with radio friendly tracks like “Can’t Break Down”. She rocks on “My Baby Wants To Rock’n’roll” & swings on “Flat Broke Blues”.
My highlights: the melancholic album opener “California Dreamin'” & the slowtempo title track “Restless”.
Josh Gallagher – Turn Around Town – EP (5 Tracks) – Released (03/26)
New guy trying not to sound too Nashville without forgetting it’s 2020. I don’t feel “it”.
Deryl Dodd – “Let Me Hold You Tonight” – Single/Track – Released
Traditional ballad. Next hit for DD on the Texas Top 100.
Ryan Griffin – “Going Going Gone” – Single/Track – Released
New guy signed to Warner Nashville with a couple of independent released tracks in the past. Fresh out of Nashvilles production machine from hell. Faithless radio fodder. But Ryan Griffin looks good.
Adam Harvey – “Highway Number One” – Single/Track – Released
One of Australias most prominent (traditional) country artists returns with an uptempo track. Not spectacular…but solid enough.
Bucky Covington – “Driving In The Dark” – Single/Track – Released
Remember the long haired BC? He had a short career in Nashville back in 2007-08. “Driving In The Dark” is a Tim McGraw-ish country rocker.
Aaron Jurd – “If You Were Mine” – Single/Track – Released
Australian uptempo country-pop with a throwback feeling. Sounds not like a hit.
Devil Doll – “Purse Whiskey” – Single/Track – Released
Uptempo sing-along drinking song.
Matt F.
April 3, 2020 @ 1:19 pm
Suzie Candell is one of my favorite country singers from Lichtenstein.
Jake Cutter
April 3, 2020 @ 1:34 pm
No need to advertise your ignorance…she barely cracks the top 500
Euro South
April 4, 2020 @ 1:03 pm
Man, I do miss the Like button.
Trigger
April 4, 2020 @ 1:57 pm
Every effort that is humanely possible is being expended to restart the likes buttons on this site. It may seem like a simple thing, but you have no idea. The entire site was unreachable this morning for an hour due to us trying to fix the problem. Your continued patience is appreciated.
Euro South
April 4, 2020 @ 2:27 pm
Having had my nerves wrecked by computer and Internet’s wiles more times than I care to remember, I totally understand, Trigger. This was just my way of liking the comments under the present circumstances.
Seeing how the disappearance of the Like function coincided with the spread of the corona virus, one is made to wonder whether the likes were perhaps the first to go in the pandemic.
Matt F.
April 4, 2020 @ 8:22 pm
To be completely honest, I always get her mixed up with that one from Luxembourg.
Jake Cutter
April 3, 2020 @ 11:13 am
If you would have asked me going into a SCM review, the odds of hearing the name Lita Ford…
There’s obviously room for a wide spectrum of “production” styles and people can do whatever they want, it’s all subjective, blah blah blah, I get it. But with last weeks conversation about the Jesse Daniel record still freshly in mind, I myself can’t help think about the choice (and result) of Producers like Jay Joyce in comparison. Why go the fence straddling, half-assed, “milquetoast” route?
I will listen to this more for sure though, based on liking these 2 songs here, and this review”s praise of the song quality.
Benny Lee
April 3, 2020 @ 11:42 am
Heartland rock with country twang – this is her wheelhouse. For the most part it’s well done by all involved. There are some “mainstream” instrumental/production choices that I don’t like, but the songs and Ashley’s delivery overcome that stuff pretty easily.
Except for Styrofoam. My ears can’t handle it. Album would be better without that one.
Greg M
April 3, 2020 @ 11:58 am
Ashley McBryde is my favorite female country artist and this album solidifies it. I think the only two songs that might be weak spots on the first listen are Voodoo Doll and Styrofoam. They aren’t bad, but they seem to be outliers on an album like this, and Voodoo Doll comes across as a little on the loud side.
Loretta Twitty
April 3, 2020 @ 12:04 pm
I love her voice, but Jay Joyce has to go. Buddy Cannon? Tony Brown?
TwangBob
April 4, 2020 @ 2:42 pm
Wow! That’s a great suggestion… imagine what Buddy Cannon could do with the production to make these songs shine even brighter, and remove a few questionable tracks!
Melissa W
April 3, 2020 @ 1:09 pm
The first time I heard First Thing I Reach For had me picking my jaw off the floor and saying HOLY SHIT. Bravo on a well written & produced country song. That song alone had me excited to listen to this record. I haven’t had a chance yet; Hopefully will take a crack at it on my way home from work today and finish it up while sitting out back with a beer while the sun is out shining!
I’m glad to see it received a good review and others here seem to like it as well.
Melissa W
April 6, 2020 @ 3:22 pm
Overall the record is pretty good. I like the rock elements more than pop in my country. The stand out songs to me are: First Thing I Reach For, Shut Up Sheila (I don’t care for the second half of the production- too busy, too loud, drowns of the vocals), Velvet Red, Martha Divine. The others are fine, good- will listen to them.
Big miss: Voodoo Doll – not sure what this song is about but the production was so bad I stopped listening after 20-30 seconds. And Styrofoam – Why end such a good record with that crap? Reminds me of Toby Keith’s Red Solo Cup. These two songs I deleted but kept the rest on my playlist.
Sterling
April 3, 2020 @ 4:14 pm
Shut up Sheila should have come out 2 hrs ago. I could have used it when my mom died and I had to listen to an aunt tell me that I wasn’t grieving the right way.
This album is perfect.
albert
April 3, 2020 @ 7:15 pm
If you are serious about your mom’s passing , sterling , my condolences .been there . God bless her …and you
Sterling
April 3, 2020 @ 7:20 pm
Thank you. It was drawn out and rough with a lot of hours at the hospital and decisions to be made. Which is why the song really struck a cord. It put me right back in that moment and said exactly what I wanted to tell my aunt.
albert
April 3, 2020 @ 7:25 pm
music always comes through doesn’t it ?……my own mom was a great lover of music..probably where I got my love of it from .
again ….so sorry for your loss
eckiezZ!
April 3, 2020 @ 4:16 pm
Please please please Lord Please don’t let Mainstream Country get a hold of Styrofoam and turn it into a hit.
Dennis Callahan
April 3, 2020 @ 5:01 pm
LOVE A McBrybe as an Artist. HATE the songs as a songwriter.
Her vocals and grazing have us all listening, so when are we going to hear more from the Girl Going Somewhere?
Bonnie Raitt to Joan Osborne even Linda Ronstadt did covers that fit like a glove.
C’mon McBryde… it’s not Monday writers night anymore. You’ve made it and we want that voice around for a long time.
Jim Croce, David Gates, Janis Joplin await.
albert
April 3, 2020 @ 7:10 pm
this woman can sing . and I believe everything she sings . cuz I can feel it .
my ears sometimes lie to me but my heart never has .
” I’m counting on you NOT to make a liar outa my heart ashely .
what’s that .??? you NEVER WILL”
I’m in love again .
Rickie Jon Connors
April 4, 2020 @ 6:52 am
Have listened to this twice today and think it’s a really good record, with some killer country songwriting.
I still think it sounds weirdly dated somehow (and not just Velvet Red). I remember Trig saying the same thing about the first album when it came out. But that’s probably part of AMcB’s charm, and who really cares if the songs are good?
Troy
April 4, 2020 @ 7:38 am
I think “Never Will” is a great album and so much better than what most of Nashville is churning out. “Martha Divine”, “First Thing I Reach For”, “Stone” and “Sparrow” stand out to me.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 4, 2020 @ 1:55 pm
…“But when the songs are this good, it sort of doesn’t matter what sounds accompany the listening experience.”…
So wrong, homes. What the heck are you talking about? For a C(c)ountry song to be a good C(c)ountry song, it has to be country song. Otherwise it’s no good.
Besides, aren’t we bored yet, of songs where bad decisions are equated to a hard life? You live in America in the 21st century. You’re not deep because you write about screwing folks you meet in bar.
She’s working so hard to be Miss edgy chick.
Corncaster
April 4, 2020 @ 2:38 pm
Honky hits it on the nose here, but I’m more tired of half rhyme, low energy, and writing that never rises above the literal.
I would bet the money in Nashville looks at McBryde as a new Gretchen Wilson. She “covers that demographic” and gets them that percentage.
Bashman
April 4, 2020 @ 7:37 pm
Before the review, I had heard the name. Even watched a couple award shows where she was nominated or won. I read the review, listened to the 2 songs here, and became interested. I went to YouTube to dig a little deeper, and fell hard! Ashley sitting with her acoustic telling stories about her songs, Girl Going Nowhere. She isn’t some Barbie doing vocal gymnastics, but a true country artist. I just purchased her latest 2 albums and enjoying my quarantine for a little while. Thank You!
Aggc
April 5, 2020 @ 7:39 pm
“Song of the Year” will come from this album.
Georgia A
April 8, 2020 @ 3:50 pm
I couldn’t disagree more on how ‘good’ Velvet Red sounded! It sounds like deep fried audio pixels from a bad Limewire download 20 years ago – just sounds like bad audio quality to me. I had to look up the lyrics for Voodoo Doll, couldn’t understand/hear what words she was singing in the chorus, you can barely hear her over the over-production by Jay Joyce. For me, Joyce has yet again ruined another great artist’s album – the other being Brandy Clark’s. So much overproduction, it’s criminal. Why they all keep using this guy, I just do not understand.