Like many fans, I remember the delights of ‘Strawberry Wine’ and ‘Did I Shave My Legs For This?’, the former dreamy and nostalgic, the latter feisty, feminist and quintessentially country. Fast forward to 2013 and Deana is a decidedly different artist, having dabbled in adult contemporary and had much success in songwriting (she wrote Kenny Chesney’s ‘You & Tequila’). However, the summery folk rock that breezes dreamily through the speakers on ‘Southern Way of Life’ is not any less brilliant than the tracks she burst onto the scene with all those years ago, allowing listeners to take a step back from the party songs on the radio and just relax.
Reminding me of Jewel on more than one occasion, ‘Southern Way of Life’ is largely a laid-back, atmospheric record that goes perfectly with long, sunny days, and short, humid nights by the bonfire. ‘Waiting For You To Come Home’, for example, delicately captures the serenity of such a setting, channelling Californian soft rock and an understated vocal delivery that Deana perfects here. Opener ‘You Can’t Stay’ also has this vibe about it, the carefree feel and stripped back but reverb-heavy production approach allowing creeping nostalgia for a late 1990’s/early 2000’s female singer/songerwriter ethos. Of course, this is exactly where Deana comes from, but it still comes across as refreshing in 2013, especially when taken from a country music standpoint.
Of course, I would be hesitant to call this “country”, per se, but there are certainly plenty of influences on display. ‘I Know Better’, for example, moves within a slightly different vein in its acoustic nature and focus on lyrics and storytelling. Detailing a conversation between old friends in which one is getting married to her soulmate, and the other secretly knows he’s a cheater, it delves far further into the inner conflict than any of the other tracks here, and gives a glimpse into the variety that Deana is capable of. ‘That’s Just Me’, too, is a sweet, summery road trip utilising slide guitar to give it a southern tinge and ability to stand out from the others. Additionally, the lyrics are surprisingly quotable and deep within this dichotomy of cheery music.
‘I’ll Save My Love For You’, perhaps by contrast, is decidedly mystical, dreamy, sleepy, with a declaration of love that is not passionate, rather content. ‘Do Or Die’, the lead single, is also relaxed and gentle, augmented by tinkling piano and acoustic guitar, but has far more of a universal message in its striving for the better out of a bad place. Her characters are in plenty of bad places on this record, such as the catchy, rocky/bluesy ‘Before You Left’, which regrets ending a relationship because of the age old notion “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. It has some cracking guitar lines (particularly the solo) and a sliding, ascending melody that really carries the song (not to mention Deana really belting it out), and is musically similar to ‘I Barely Knew’, which takes a positive view on break-ups by moving on and seeing the blessings unrealized. ‘I Don’t Want To’ is one of the more emotional tracks on the album, maybe ironically due to its speaking of the lack of feeling and emotion in a habitual relationship. The intriguing, floating melody and atmospheric production build upon a heartfelt delivery, aching from the unfortunate situation that sees once passionate lovers drift out of love but remain pretending.
I would argue, however, that the title track is the most creative and standout tracks on ‘Southern Way of Life’. A celebration of both the fantasy and romanticized, as well as the gritty and dirty, this is Deana’s tribute to the south, with a bizarre musical accompaniment that builds on a variety of instrumentation and picks out the clashing sounds, resulting in a quirky, heavily rhythmic but fun closer to the album.
‘Southern Way of Life’ might fool you into thinking this is a country album. It isn’t. That’s not to say it isn’t southern influenced, and perhaps that is what Deana was getting at when she named it. But it is old-school summery folk rock/pop, a gorgeous mix that has been oft forgotten a decade or more after its heyday in the charts. If you’re looking for something a little different to brighten up your mood, and just make for enjoyable listening with some good, solid songwriting, then look no further than ‘Southern Way of Life’.
