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ADRIENNE YOUNG
Plow to the End of the Row


Because country music can't be reinvented often enough, we greet Adrienne Young's 'Plow to the End of the Row' with open arms. Not only does she ply her trade with a soulful voice and sentimental songs; Young takes you in all kinds of directions. On her solo debut, which was heavily inspired by the Carter Family, Be Good Tanyas, and Gillian Welch, she enlists the help of friends, including Old Crow Medicine Show, Carter Wood, Courtney Little, Mark Sanders, and Alice Randall.

After the misty bluegrass of opening track 'I Cannot Justify' and the traditional 'Satan, Yer Kingdom Must Come Down,' the singer from Florida switches, via the poppy 'Home Remedy,' to a more accessible sound. The title track is classic country once again, with harmony singing and harmonica. That her voice does have limitations is apparent when she reaches for a high note on 'Poison,' after which she tries to convert the Nashville crowd with the uptempo 'Her Eyes Were Watching God' and the slumbering pop song 'Blinded by Stars.' Cornpone traditional 'Soldier's Joy' is quite different, and 'Stripes,' by the unforgettable Johnny Cash, may God bless his soul, brings Adrienne Young back to the promising begin of the 17 tracks on the diverse 'Plow to the End of the Row.'

Maurice Dielemans
KindaMuzik.net