Female authors with guitars are becoming a frequent thing. And it’s good that this is the case. Every day, I discover a new name, no matter what the genre they belong to. What’s important is that guitar playing and creative expression still have the place in the music business, and that the young girls are brave enough to get out of their rooms and play their hearts to the world.
One of these girls is Courtney Marie Andrews, a 26 year old singer from Arizona that already has six albums in her discography. With her current one titled Honest Life, I think she could really blossom and get everyone’s attention. She started playing and writing when she was thirteen, and she was performing her songs in local bars in Arizona. After a while, she was noticed by musicians such as Jimmy Eat World for whom she recorded background vocals for their album Invented. But, the real applause came from Ryan Adams. Courtney was finally getting the much deserved hype in folk circles.
Courtney Marie has made the album of her career, and it is the album that is actually going to set off her career. Although they usually compare her to Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, she reminds me more of Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Meaning, country is in the main focus. Honest Life sounds like Emmylou Harris made an intersection of The Ballad of Sally Rose and Wrecking Ball, which makes the album equally intimate and commercial.
Besides the undeniable writing skill, Courtney Marie has done the most part of production as well. Lyrics are the stories of other people, mostly those who she met when she was working as a waitress. They are simple and straightforward, which makes them attractive. No metaphors.
The opening track Rookie Dreaming hints the idea of the whole record – pure and simple. Irene is autobiographical and it serves as a girl anthem. Two songs that are most loyal to the storytelling concept are Table For One and Honest Life. They sound as they were written by a guest at the bar who is holding a whiskey in one hand and a pen in the other one. How Quickly Your Heart Mends is going to be the biggest hit, since it is a country pop number. It showcases the singer’s talent to make a memorable song.
She could be a young folk heroine of today’s generation. Courtney Marie sounds fresh, seductive, candid and polished. The raw quality of her approach makes her an intriguing singer.
