Well damn, I was surprised by Krystal Keith’s debut release, ‘Whiskey & Lace’. It’s rare that I might feel like a fan of an artist 2 songs into their record, but this is what occurred with Krystal. Not only is her voice distinct in its smooth, soulful and husky qualities, but she has carved out her own niche, and is different enough from her father to stand on her own two feet as an artist. With enough record label backing, I don’t see her dipping out of the spotlight anytime soon.
The key to this album is in the strong identity and artistic voice that Krystal already has so early in her career. There’s an imperfect honky tonk style about her, a potential to begin to tap into ordinary people despite the fact that she has lived a less decidedly less ordinary. For example, standout track ‘Can’t Buy You Money’ is a bluesy, soulful suffering song, taking on the persona of a financially struggling family, who have all the love and happiness in the world, but just can’t pay the bills or afford to love. There’s not so much a melancholy here, but a unique, punchy “sigh, that’s life” kind of attitude, and Krystal continues to have interesting takes and perspectives on things throughout. ‘What Did You Think I’d Do’ is a fairly fast-paced story song, with a sprightly, quirky take on rushing through love, then marriage, and remaining happy despite the negatives in the situation. It’s a fun, 90’s-tinged country dance-athon, as is catchy opener ‘Doin’ It’, a summery tune describing the different ways people consume both music and alcohol.
Krystal turns to sass in her musings over the happenings of summer in ‘Him and This Tattoo’. A slightly bluesy, honky tonk but instrumentally southern rock track, it regrets a boozy summer that resulted in a 5-dollar-bet tattoo and a romance that she wants to get rid of but can’t. ‘Down Into Muddy Water’ also merges the genres of blues and southern rock to accompany the bored and frustrated housewife, waiting impatiently for her husband to eventually come home from his night out. This song would be perhaps a little unremarkable, if it weren’t for the brass and gospel harmonies that join the fuller production later on in the song, and really build an awesome sound that’ll make for a fantastic live performance, particularly if extended. It’s these little musical touches that make ‘Whiskey & Lace’ an enjoyable album, but truly its Krystal voice, both technically and emotionally, that make it one to remember and re-play over and over.
‘Daddy Dance With Me’ is one such example. A tribute to her father, recorded for her wedding day, Krystal’s delivery really brings it alive with her soulful, slightly quivering vocals that tug at the heartstrings. Delicate, the song is built from piano and pedal steel with soaring choruses, and a subject that so many women will relate to as they move into adulthood and marriage. Another track that is a real highlight is ‘Beautiful Weakness’, another piano-led ballad with a gorgeous twisting and twirling melody, and lyrics that regret always giving in to a destructive lover. Krystal chooses to take a more gentle path when addressing it, allowing her vulnerability to escape and making this an even more touching performance.
‘Cabo San Lucas’, perhaps by contrast, shows Krystal’s delivery dipped in cheery-fronted loneliness, during a message to an ex-lover that paints her life as a chilled out Mexican paradise but admits her missing him. The song combines a latin feel with a traditional country structure, and is one of my favorites, partly for its originality, but there’s something about the charm of Krystal here that is irresistible. That’s what’s so unquantifiable, too. From my initial listens I felt who Krystal was as an artist, and her voice is so emotive, so descriptive, so capable at storytelling, yet so technically good, rich and sultry. In the title track closer, we really feel the frustration and unhappiness that the main character feels at having to take on an alter-ego and perform in bars at night just to pay the bills for her family.
The lead single, ‘Get Your Redneck On’, barely touches upon the potential that Krystal displays here, and it’s almost a shame that that’s the track that was released, despite the great singalong nature of it and chilled out summery vibe. Because not only does Krystal have something to say and she says it damn well, but she has been able to craft a collection of songs that are simply great to listen to, no matter what the situation. Although thematically there is a loyalty to the summer season, there’s none of this cliché bro-country ice-cold-beer-and-tailgates stuff that trivializes and dates it. No, instead I have a feeling that I’ll continue to enjoy this record for a long time to come. I just wish there were more than 10 tracks!
Krystal Keith is an incredibly musically versatile artist (just think about the amount of song styles and sounds covered on ‘Whiskey & Lace’), with a strong artistic identity and something to say. Let’s just hope being on her father’s label means they’ll push her into the currently anti-female country industry and give her all the support she deserves, because she may be one of the few women who’ll be able to crack it in the next couple of years.
