Southern California native Violet Delancey grew up close to the recording studios where acts like Gram Parsons made country music history in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until she moved to London that her destiny in that heritage line became clear. A graduate student studying mythology in Britain’s capital city, Violet became truly familiar with country and Americana, and began to combine it with her songwriting craft, inspired by her study of the various stories that appear across time in different cultures. Upon moving to Nashville in 2013, Violet began making music full-time, ultimately resulting in her debut album ‘When The Clock Strikes Midnight’.
She has previously been compared to the likes of Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, and it’s easy to see why. Her light, fluttering mountain soprano vocals are evocative of several female pioneers of the genre, and her songwriting has a palatable, familiar but heartfelt feel to it. Each offering on this 11-track record is simple but effective in its narrative purpose, with Violet’s writing voice coming across delightfully personable. There’s an intimacy in her storytelling, exemplified in the likes of ‘Back To The Sea’, which remembers a loved one who has left, and ‘Lost Along The Way’, a chronological tale about a woman who mourns the break-up of her marriage. Whether singing in the first or third person, Violet manages to evoke a sense of relatability and authenticity in her delivery, that classic tear in her voice adding touches of extra emotion on tracks such as ‘Will You Love Me’ – a little ditty about the caution in approaching new love.
But beyond the rawness of her sad songs, Violet is also able to bring a youthful and innocent joy to her fun songs. The album’s title offering and opening number, ‘When The Clock Strikes Midnight’, is a spirited classic country two step about having a little fun at the bar, while ‘My Irish Man’ is an upbeat bluegrass track in the style of old Irish folk tales. Throughout the album Violet functions within a rootsy Appalachian style, mixed with some of the melodies and structures of 1970s country music. Her voice slots into this sound effortlessly well, and at times her excellent band are appropriately shuffled into the spotlight; from guitarist Brian Sutton’s tasteful guitar licks, to steel guitar legend Paul Franklin’s mournful sounds, to fiddler Stuart Duncan’s chirpy twang, they all get their moment to shine. The whole arrangements are brought together expertly by East Nashville producer Brent Truitt (Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss).
It is fitting of her honed traditional style, then, that the two covers on this record are from Guy Clark and Gram Parsons. Violet’s interpretation of Guy’s ‘She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ is a delicate ballad dripping in melancholy, while her rendition of Gram’s ‘Luxury Liner’ is a driving bluegrass number perfect for dancehalls. Both sound totally at home on this record, and could almost pass for her own material.
Whether she knew it or not in those early years, clearly the musical heritage of her hometown had a major impact on Violet. She comes across incredibly natural, both in singing and songwriting, and if it weren’t for her backstory, it would seem surprising that she has come into herself so soon after turning to music. ‘When The Clock Strikes Midnight’ is a pure country delight that feels rich and warm. It pays heed to the legends that came before just as it begins to write Violet’s own story on the line below. The inclusion of the song ‘First Goodbye’ as the final track is perhaps no coincidence; it may be goodbye for now, but it won’t be the last goodbye she gives. Violet Delancey has plenty more music to make.
Originally posted here.
