A Country Queen

Though Margo Price may be getting all the credit lately for bringing that old school country sound back into the spotlight, Kelsey Waldon is giving country a good name herself. With her sophomore record I’ve Got a Way (released Aug. 12 on Monkey’s Eyebrow Recordings), Waldon brings her whopping talent to songs about being an independent boss lady, the dregs of a relationship, complications of masculinity, and feeling deeply alone. With a singing style that could rival contemporaries like Price and Nikki Lane, and with clear inspiration from the greats like Tammy, Dolly, and Loretta, Waldon can convey raw emotional turmoil or put you in your place through her voice.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Waldon’s new record is the inclusion of a handful of country covers originally written and performed by men. Waldon doesn’t shy away from embracing the works of Bill Monroe and Vern and Rex Gosdin, and she does them serious justice. The Gosdin brothers’ “There Must Be a Someone” softens in Waldon’s hands. She brings an elegant, subtle sadness to the song about rock bottom loneliness. “All my so called friends have turned their backs on me/They were looking for someone I couldn’t be/Let them go and have their fun/Unaware of the harm they’ve done/There must be someone I could turn to,” she sings. Her take on Monroe’s “Traveling Down This Lonesome Road” is measured and cool, and Waldon hits every beat just right.

“False King” is a stellar example of Waldon’s ability to become a true queen of country. Waldon injects serious attitude into a song about what it means to be a fraud, alongside some beautiful steel guitar. But the true standout on I’ve Got a Way is “All By Myself”, a dark, feminist, empowerment anthem that gives the classic country kiss-off a run for its money. It builds up slowly, starting off with simple, spare guitar, until Waldon’s belting out the chorus amidst a big, layered instrumental arrangement: “I can be me all by myself.” She ain’t kidding.