Album Review – Alicia Blue’s “Country Desire”

Outlaw Country (#580) on the Country DDS.

After stumbling onto some of her early demos, it didn’t take long for producer Shooter Jennings to conclude that country singer and songwriter Alicia Blue had something special that deserved greater attention. That same immediate reaction is what listeners experience when they cue up her new album Country Desire, and hear the expressive and alluring nature of her voice, the boldness of her songs, and the richness of her sound that’s the perfect combination of warmly familiar and fetchingly unique.

Oh and yeah, this is country. Real country. Outlaw country in fact, or at least what passes for it in the present day. Alicia Blue earns this distinction from not shying away from risque subject matter about carnal desires and passionate dalliances with cowboys, and then seals the deal with the way she speaks her mind about getting bullied and passed over by the music business before Shooter finally took a chance on her. She had no label, no major representation, just a dream and talent—both of which come through in the impassioned songs of this debut album.

Spending time in both South Texas and Southern California, Alicia Blue has both authenticity and inherent coolness in everything she does. Geography plays a big role in Country Desire. The “where” is often just as important as the “who” and “what” in her songs, including her stints in middle Tennessee trying to make it work with men and the music industry with mixed results. It’s in these swells of conflict, emotion, and desire where the magic and intrigue in Blue’s original songs are found.

It’s Alicia Blue’s fearlessness to speak about her experiences often free of metaphor and innuendo that makes the music novel. But it’s her voice that really separates her from the herd. So confidently delivered and character-filled, there was no reticence or reason to be demure on this record. Shooter Jennings said “Let’s make an album,” and Country Desire is very much Alicia Blue shooting her shot.

When the chorus for the opening song “Run Me Ragged” comes in, you’re hooked with the line and the sinker down the gullet too. Alicia’s melody construction and the way she marries it to the sweet spot in her range is illustrated deftly in “Hungry Ghost” as well. By approaching country with older influences, but making them feel current and fresh, Country Desire has that Nikki Lane, Whitey Morgan, old Mike and the Moonpies swagger to it.

Though there is plenty of varying texture on this album, it really is the half time feel, the two-tone bass lines, and the attitudinal approach reminiscent of Waylon Sr. that define the album’s experience. This is especially brought to the surface in the song “Clean” about Alicia Blue’s battles with an industry that didn’t see her place in it, which is so often the case until it isn’t. “I Know What Doesn’t Fade” doubles down on her desire to make music that’s free of fad or trend, and to keep it country.

In the second half of the album, there are a few moments that perhaps feel a little too familiar. We’re nowhere near Stella Lefty territory. But you might notice that the melody of “Please Don’t Call” works similarly to “Whitehouse Road.” “Know What Doesn’t Fade” has that repeated phrase like “Waymore’s Blues,” even if that’s probably on purpose. And though you really appreciate the yodel call and it shows off Alicia’s vocal capabilities, “Waitress Blues” is a little too close to Dolly’s “Muleskinner Blues.”

On the balance though, Alicia Blue is trying to pay forward all of those tried and true country music modes in songs that are original and personal to her, and in a way that resonates very personally with the audience as well. Coming across like a wellspring of talent, Country Desire feels like a victory of sorts after a decade of struggle, with the final song “Mama, I’m Writing” making for the perfect note to end the narrative arc.

It’s not just the joy you pull from Country Desire, but that tingle you get when you feel you’ve just stumbled across your next favorite artist that makes this album feel important.

8.2/10

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Stream/purchase Alicia Blue’s Country Desire