Going into the listening of this album, I had high hopes for Danielle Bradbery. Although just 17 and an ex-reality show contestant (can be a hit/miss in my opinion), her debut single ‘The Heart of Dixie’ showed promising vocals and an ability to deal with mature topics, as well as a sound/style that wasn’t far off that of the Dixie Chicks or the female powerhouses of the 1990’s and early 00’s, such as Martina McBride. The artistic identity that transpires from this record is a slightly confusing one, however. On the one hand, Danielle is a country artist with a promising future, on the other, a pop starlet who looks like the industry’s next victim with her wide, innocent eyes and fresh face. These two sides of the coin both play against each other and merge into one another, meaning that it’s never quite clear where the ‘true’ Danielle lies.
To take ‘Dance Hall’ for an example, which is rife with pop instrumentation, melody, structure and production, complete with slight autotune, the conflict comes with the inclusion of pedal steel and banjo (gently, in the background) and a less than conventional approach to the chorus. As Danielle has been proven to hit the high notes much of the songs on this album have big belters of choruses, but ‘Dance Hall’ opts for more of a floating, understated hook, that has more of an acoustic feel than the rest. It provides a small insight into Danielle’s potential, while holding her firmly on the side of mainstream and commercial.
This is not a feeling confined to one song. Closer ‘My Day’ is worthy of winning an award show, due to its bland message about this being her moment etc and its cheesy pop production, while big ballad ‘I Will Never Forget You’ has a large and prominent string section and the maximum amount of musical drama, complete with Danielle hitting close to the top of her range on long chorus notes. Pop echoes at the end of verse lines top off a production that is entirely inappropriate for showcasing Danielle’s tapping into deep emotions, like prior press indicated. Instead, the music is so over-the-top it’s distracting, and the cheesy guitar solo and key change on the final refrain don’t help matters either.
Of course, it’s definitely not all bad, and as I said before Danielle also shows her potential on this record. Opener ‘Young In America’ is a fun, youthful number with Dixie Chicks-esque fiddle and sweet mandolin followed by a catchy country-pop hook, that isn’t too ruined by the occasional synth peeping in. Then there’s summery pop/rock love song ‘Talk About Love’, that has one of the best chorus melodies on the album and stands out for that reason. Indeed, it seems that the pop influence on this record has at least contributed some really radio-friendly hooks to the pot. The lyrics, like much of this album, center around a happy love theme, in this case a dreamy nostalgia and in others a carefree or overwhelmingly blissful state. One such example is ‘Never Like This’, yet another belter that touches upon the first time of really being in love, but mixes it up a bit with a funkier beat, and slightly haunting “oohs” along with a guitar line ringing out. Again, the chorus sees the return of the smooth pop production, which is a shame.
Another where this is a problem is ‘Yellin’ From The Rooftop’. Originally heard on ABC’s Nashville and sung by Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Danielle’s version remains quite close to that already released but with a fuller production that isn’t needed for this style of song. The funky beat and rockier feel would work better with a more stripped back sensibility, and we are given this for the beginning of the final chorus, but largely there are full harmonies laid over the top and just too much compression. Let the song breathe, let Danielle’s vocals have an edge to them! This song is supposed to be a little sassy, and unfortunately both Danielle’s sweet girl image and the approach make it fall a little flat. Having said that, it’s one of the stronger tracks on this record because it delves a little more into her inner strength, with more maturity than she has delivered elsewhere.
‘Endless Summer’ is some of the more “country” we can hear on ‘Danielle Bradbery’, with a twangier sound aided by strummed mandolin and bluesy electric guitar, and the melody switching rapidly between the major key and the relative minor on the chorus. This has a much cooler vibe than the majority on this album, and lyrics that view a past relationship both positively but thoughtfully and retrospectively. Again, we see glimpses of depth from Danielle, but these are simply not fully realized. Lyrically these songs are a better effort than you’ll hear on most mainstream pop albums, but often it’s a little average for country (or maybe I just have some crazy high standard, sorry Danielle!). There’s not too much that really jumps out at me, but again I could be blindsided by the music.
The final track to discuss is ‘Daughter of A Workin’ Man’, the best song on the album and the most country. A sweet acoustic ballad with a traditional leaning cyclical melody accentuated by delicate fiddle, Danielle’s vocals really find their strength and niche. She seems most comfortable here and I really think this is the direction she should go down. It’s a heartfelt track with a real message and the strongest set of lyrics on offer, completely contrasting against its companions. It also offers much more of a maturity than others, and although I note that she is only 17, truly great artistry comes from ignoring physical age. She has to market herself to girls her own age and a little younger by recording the fun songs, but hopefully in a few years she’ll turn to the more adult material, securing her longevity in country music.
So, as you can tell, it’s hard to make a judgement yet. Clearly Danielle is either too young and confused herself or there was too much dominance from producers and label execs (I’d like to think the latter). Appealing to the largest audience possible is, of course, the most viable financial option for those in control, which it’s unlikely Danielle will be at this point in her career. We’ll see whether she can step up to the plate in years to come, but for now she’s comfortably a teenager in an album showcasing sweet youth and a few searches for identity. But no great artist ever came without a few growing pains, right?
