Natalie Stovall and The Drive ‘Heartbreak’ – EP Review
In case you haven’t heard, Natalie Stovall and The Drive is an up and coming country music group composed of Natalie Stovall (lead vocals, fiddle), Miguel Cancino (guitar), Zach Morse (bass), Joel Dormer (guitar, vocals), and James Bavendam (drums). Natalie is a firebrand who plays a mean fiddle, one who has already made a name for herself. Their debut single, “Baby Come On with It”, was released in February 2014 after receiving airplay on Sirius XM Radio. Stovall was raised in Columbia, Tennessee, and has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and The Oprah Winfrey Show. The group’s EP, Heartbreak, was recently released earlier this month.
The record opens with “We Are”, a fiddle and drum-driven anthem about persevering through life’s difficulties. The song’s chorus is catchy and features an infectious melody. The EP’s lead single, “Heartbreak”, features an undeniable R&B beat, and is pumped full of sound and energy, as Stovall sings about heartbreak and the people who cause it. “Girl Tonight” sounds like a song you’d play in the club, featuring a strong beat and a dance-mix sound. The song is another incredibly catchy track on the EP, this time finding Stovall singing to a guy, warning him that she’ll make him wish she was with him tonight. She brags that she’ll make him want her, think about her, and need her, to the point where when he turns the light out at night, she’ll be on his mind.
“Not Goin’ Fishin’” features a groovy beat and continues with the dance-mix sound. The song finds Stovall going fishing for the first time, and wondering why she didn’t do it sooner. The twist? They aren’t exactly fishing… if you get my drift! The album concludes with “Pour You Out”, which finds the group toned down, a quieter production and vocal delivery. The song is one of heartbreak. It finds Natalie talking to an ex-lover, telling him that he’s no good for her and that she’s done with him, that she’s going to pour him out like whiskey. It’s one of the two better songs on the EP. As far as the standout and best song on the record go, those titles are reserved for “Dear Dolly”.
“Dear Dolly” is the most country sounding song on the record, and features Natalie giving a stunning vocal delivery. The song finds Natalie writing a letter to country legend Dolly Parton, talking to her like a friend. Natalie writes to Parton about all the struggles a female faces in the music industry and the battles she has had to endure in order to get people to listen to/play her songs. Natalie opens the song with, “Dear Dolly, you don’t know me at all/ I didn’t know who to write/ I didn’t know who to call,” and goes on to describe the struggles she has had to endure. She tells Dolly, “I remember when you said/ If you don’t like the road you’re walkin’/ Well pave another one instead” and continues with, “Well dear Dolly, oh they say that it’s a man’s world/ it’s not that I’m not good enough/ but nobody wants to hear little songs from a girl.” She goes on to vow that, “I’ll keep singing my heart out/ I won’t believe what they tell me/ ‘cause it’s what you would do/ if it were you, dear Dolly/ So anytime somebody tries to tell me I can’t/ I know I can.” She thanks the legend for showing her how to believe in a dream. It’s a beautiful song showcasing Natalie at her absolute best.
Overall, the EP is a bit lacking as far as country music is concerned. It prefers to walk the line between country and pop/rock/R&B most of the time, leaning heavily on the non-country side. It’s a little disappointing, considering Natalie’s amazing talent, both vocally and with the fiddle. I guess I was just expecting more from her. But I will say, “Dear Dolly” truly saves this record. I’d just bypass the rest of the record and go straight to “Dear Dolly”.
Originally posted here.