‘Rachele Lynae’ is the artist in question’s debut album, the result of a couple of years of releasing fairly unsuccessful singles to country radio and much tutelage from the album’s producer Jamie O’Neal. That’s not to take anything away from Rachele, however. She co-wrote every single one of the 12 tracks, bringing in a variety of songwriters to help complement her work. The result is an interesting collection of material that like many debuts showcases both potential and growing pains.
If you scour the always-reliable archives of Wikipedia, you’ll find that Rachele is listed as “country rock”, a standard vague term that does little to shed light onto her capabilities as an artist. ‘Rachele Lynae’ is littered with songs that sonically fit into a kind of polished up, southern rock vibe, with elements of blues and soul evident in her vocals. On the other hand, however, she is equally as partial to country pop, with various songs coming across in the Taylor Swiftian (going back a few years) brand of teen love songs. Therein lies the first question mark, as while variety in an artist’s work is welcomed with open arms, it does present some confusion as to her identity when songs appear to slip into two stark categories.
Despite its ambiguity, country rock as a description suits Rachele the more you listen to her. Although not country rock in the traditional sense, there is a sassy Reba-esque quality to the recordings, updated and translated for a perhaps younger audience. This is where her voice most excels, its husky, bluesy inflections underpinning a power that with some nurturing could reach a similar level to artists such as Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. Yet while tracks like ‘Party Til The Cows Come Home’, ‘Fishin’ For Something’ and ‘Out On The Floor’ are great sonically, the lyrics are too quick to give away her new artist status, the first and third girls-night-out party tracks, the other in the same setting but with an added narrative of trying to get rid of a guy who won’t stop hitting on her. It’s a shame because the sound suggests a maturity while the subject matter and lyrics lean more toward a throwaway teenage pop ethos.
Having said that, Rachele certainly has potential. ‘Cigarette’ may be country pop but it also takes influence from her ‘90s inspirations, the acoustic feel stripping back the support system for her voice and letting it shine in its soulful tones. ‘Clean’, too, is gorgeous, its gentle balladic nature illustrated with acoustic guitar, dobro, pedal steel and a vulnerable delivery, the first time we really hear Rachele let the song lead the way rather than trying to control it. ‘Done Is Done’ narrates the end of a relationship with reluctance and resignation, a heartbreaking window into perhaps was a real-life situation. ‘Two For One Special’ takes a rather different tack, channelling the Dixie Chicks and ‘Goodbye Earl’ when two women find that a man is sleeping with both of them and decide to kill him. Fun and quirky in its approach, the vocal counterpoint and focus on power over distinctive melody along with the chopping and changing structure, providing little slow build, make it a song to do a small double take on.
‘Words In Red’ also has this effect. Telling the story of a rebel child who can’t change her ways, this takes more of a blatant look at the attempts of Christianity to convert the sinful, to no avail. Ultimately, Rachele insists in so many words (so I can gather) that she will only change for God on the day of judgement, showing a resilience that goes further than the “good ol’ boy but I can’t stop drinking” songs. She seems to almost entirely reject the church’s efforts, which is a narrative far more interesting than what her team have tried to brand her as. She offers something to explore, yet couched in marketing that goes double-time for a new artist, not forgetting the standard young love country pop songs that also are present here.
Rachele Lynae is certainly one to watch, but she also needs time to develop. Still, this album is worth it as a page in the storybook, a look into Rachele’s own artistic narrative. I look forward to seeing what else she is capable of.
