Adrienne Young
Room to Grow
Addiebelle Music
By Alex Rawls

Adrienne Young’s The Art of Virtue from 2005 was the sort of bluegrass that could find a larger audience. It was song-oriented, warm and intelligent in an unironic way. Room to Grow realizes that potential; it’s even more pop-friendly. The title cut would sound at home on country radio today with immediate hooks that keep unfolding throughout the verse and chorus. Bluegrass purists and fans of previous albums might think the album is too pop, but the fiddle and banjo remain essential instruments in her sound, and two instrumentals feature her melodic banjo playing. Besides, if someone’s going to be a Nashville hit, I’d like it to be someone who advocates for rural living and a sustainable agricultural future rather than someone who waxes nostalgically for relationships that sound suspiciously like moments out of John Cougar Mellencamp songs. And it’s a good sign when the least interesting track on an album is a cover, in this case, “Free Man in Paris.”