Album Review – Ashley Monroe’s “Like A Rose”
You want to get the majority of country music critics singing your praises? Put out a traditional country album through mainstream channels. Most critics got into the business because of a passion for true country, and after having their ears burned out by the latest singles from Florida-Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, anything with the most minute measure of twang will get the Nashville press corps reaching for their Thesauruses to shower you with plaudits. Meanwhile down here in the independent trenches where twang is a given, you’ve got to have a little more than just the right sound. The music and words must still ring true. Luckily with Ashley Monroe, they do.
First, kudos are probably warranted for Miranda Lambert. Whatever one’s feelings might be on her, for a solid top 3 lady in country music to take on a side project like The Pistol Annies speaks to her passion for the music, and specifically the music of fellow Pistol Annie Ashley Monroe. Ashley still may have made this record without the Pistol Annies bump, but there may have not been nearly as many people paying attention to it. And kudos to Ashley for staying within herself on Like A Rose. She could have taken her Pistol Annies exposure and cashed out with a career in country pop.
Like A Rose is a short and sweet, classic country album that encapsulates Ashley Monroe’s skills as a formidable traditional country songwriter with a sweet voice embellished with sincere pain. All the songs on Like A Rose were written by Monroe, but they all include collaborators as well, most notably Vince Gill who is also the executive producer of the album, and Guy Clark who co-writes the album’s namesake track, “Like A Rose.” This album speaks to a rough and troubled life, with some of the songs taken verbatim from Ashley’s past. The sincerity of her music is palpable. The very first lyric on the album, “I was only 13, when daddy died,” parallels Ashley’s real life experience, and however much fiction plays into the material for the rest of the album, you tend to believe every word.
The approach to Like A Rose is traditional, but light in the way the rhythm is laid back and some of the textures are ambient, making it in some respects a cross between country and Americana, broadening the appeal of the record. By only including 9 tracks, each offering benefits from a potency of content. This album never tires. At the same time, as a songwriter dyed in the Music Row ink, (granted, in circles with a more of a traditional leaning) there is a formulaic feel beneath some of the songs that make you say, “I’ve heard this song before, just in a different way.” You get this feel from songs like “Used” and “Two Weeks Late.” The wild-eyed “Weed Instead Of Roses” once again reinforces the theory that country has finally picked up that marijuana is good music marketing and now the subject will permeate the genre.
Nonetheless, the wit of a song like “She’s Driving Me Out Of Your Mind” and the simple enjoyment of “Monroe Suede,” or really the simple enjoyment of all of these songs can’t be denied. Even the duet with Blake Shelton “You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter)” is pretty good. Blake may be a turd burglar, but nobody ever accused him of not being able to sing. His tone and cadence fits the classic style very well.
Where Like A Rose may be a little bit light on the deep substance for songwriting snobs, or short on the hard country sounds some classic/traditional fans enjoy, Ashley Monroe’s place as a Pistol Annie with a major label deal make the prospects of this music wetting the whistle of passive country music fans for a more authentic country sound are very promising. Male-driven pop country continues to get worse as every moment passes in country, but a promising crop of bold female artists continue to impress at every turn as they try to steer country in a more substantive direction. Ashley Monroe is at the very top of that crop of beautiful, bold, and talented women.
Good album.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
March 8, 2013 @ 2:49 pm
I’ve been following this girl for years, in fact her song Satisfied was the first song I ever bought off of iTunes.
Glad to hear the positive album review, I’m still waiting for it as in an attempt to support the artist I bought the deluxe album release package, which is taking a few days to get here.
If anyone reading this hasn’t done so check out her performance of ‘Hank’s Cadillac’ at the Opry on Youtube. Great stuff
March 8, 2013 @ 4:08 pm
Listened to her for the first time yesterday and overall I like what I hear…not quite the style of classic country I would listen to on a daily basis but very good nonetheless.
March 8, 2013 @ 4:47 pm
I love the Pistol Annies. Mrs. Monroes voice is real soft and sweet. Two thumbs up for this one. But Blake could still kiss off for all I care!
March 8, 2013 @ 4:58 pm
Great review and great album. I had no problem with the songwriting, but a few songs like Used and Like a Rose, did have a bit of a NPR Americana sound (I still liked them.)
Monroe Suede and Two Weeks Late are my favorites.
March 8, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
It’s still streaming at Rolling Stone’s site (via SoundCloud) at the moment — I’m checking it out now…
I hope this album really takes off — country radio could definitely use more female voices, especially with the kind of heartfelt storytelling I’m hearing here. 🙂
March 8, 2013 @ 6:29 pm
For those interested:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ashley-monroe-shows-her-wild-side-on-like-a-rose-album-premiere-20130304
March 9, 2013 @ 8:57 am
This album has cemented Ashley as one of my favorite female singer/songwriters (emphasis on both singer AND songwriter), along with Jamie Wilson and Jill Andrews. I do wish they’d added maybe two tracks, but the album being so short and sweet almost makes it even better. “The Morning After” is my favorite.
March 9, 2013 @ 9:01 am
I’m a big proponent of short albums. There’s too much music out there these days to be releasing filler tracks. Pack a punch, and leave the audience wanting more.
March 10, 2013 @ 8:55 am
I agree entirely trig. Back in the day black sabbath would put out an album a year and each one would was around 8 songs and 33 minutes… Then in the nineties metallica waited five years between albums but “loaded” nearly 80 minutes onto it. The mediocre material completely drowned out the good/great stuff. Hank3 made the same mistake on his last. Trim the fat and that double album woulda been a really sweet single release.
March 9, 2013 @ 11:26 am
I just got done listening and I feel the same way, like it could have used one or two more songs, but I see trigger’s point about not needing any filler.
Ashley’s such an accomplished songwriter though, I wouldn’t have minded if she’d done a couple versions of songs that she’d written but other artists had done towards the end. Like I’d love to hear her do a studio version of The Truth.
But then again had she done that it runs the risk of looking like a cover album. Maybe in a few years she could do a greatest hits type package ala Phil Vassar, of her doing an album of songs she’d written for others.
March 9, 2013 @ 10:36 am
Holy shit. This album is amazing! Cannot believe this actually came out of Nashville.
March 9, 2013 @ 8:22 pm
I picked this up last night.
I really like this gal.
I plan to buy Pistol Annies’ CD soon.
This sweetheart sounds way too authentic to be coming from Music Row.
March 9, 2013 @ 8:24 pm
Love Ashley; to me she sounds a lot like Dolly Parton. The album is flawless!
I’m having some trouble understanding “She’s Driving Me Out of Your Mind”. It is basically about the guy she loved is with someone else now and this new girl is taking over his thoughts?
March 9, 2013 @ 10:12 pm
That’s pretty much how I read it Laura. That song works just like many country songs have over the years, taking a word meaning or idea and flipping around on itself, but what I like about this one is that it really challenges the brain the first few times you listen to it. Really smart songwriting.
March 11, 2013 @ 9:19 am
Excellent album in my opinion. Strange to hear that come out of Nashville and get positive reviews. Still waiting to hear her songs on the radio though.
March 20, 2013 @ 4:18 am
Yep just picked up this album last night and listened on the way to work. This is damn good, and you are right, lots of women lately are putting out the really solid albums, independent and mainstream. Do you think we will actually see a new mainstream guy this year put out real country music other than Chris young?
March 20, 2013 @ 6:18 am
Got this about a week ago, but listened to it for the first time this morning. Very happy with it.
August 23, 2013 @ 5:27 am
Thank you for this awesome review! I used it in my blog 🙂
http://allysmelody.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/patcast-by-trains-patrick-monohan-phe-nom-i-nal/