ALBUM REVIEW: Michelle Malone Remains the Life of the Party
Rachel Cholst
Posted On October 3, 2024
Michelle Malone has been the life of the party for decades, and on her new album, Southern Comfort, she demonstrates why.
A good party is fun, but a great party is a much deeper experience – it’s not about barely remembering what happened the next day, but more about a meaningful experience that you’ll be thinking about for a long time. Southern Comfort is that unique mixture of joy, reflection, and finding meaning in it all.
The title track is a cover of a song she recorded with fellow Georgia band Drag the River (not to be confused with the Denver-based one) in the ‘90s. While its celebration of Southern rock and Southern charm is a jaunty tune, there is a melancholy edge here: this recording is a tribute to drummer Billy Pitts, who passed away in 2022. Amidst the lyrics celebrating rock and roll rebellion, there’s a sense of sun-faded nostalgia in Charlie Starr’s solo and Rick Richards’ slide guitar – memories last forever, even if the good times don’t always.
Malone brings plenty of swagger to rockers “One Track Mind” and “Like Mother Like Daughter.” There’s a reason she drew a loyal following with her socially distanced pandemic shows – she approaches her music with a relaxed confidence. Malone anchors her songs with seemingly effortless solos and inviting, earthy lyrics that ensure we are a part of the story. Like all great hosts, she anchors the party’s energy without centering herself.
But then there are those quieter moments that invite intimacy. To be honest, Malone is never better than when she’s at her bleakest. Her voice is weathered and textured, and these characteristics shine most when she yearns. “Wine and Regret” features Malone’s voice to great effect as she mourns the loss of a lover. “I Choke on My Words” finds her reckoning with her past, the price she’s paid for her actions, and her attempts to redress them.
That hint of grief underlines even the sunnier songs on Southern Comfort. Here, Malone invites us to celebrate life, while also asking us to spend time with the periods of struggle that make those celebrations sweet.
Michelle Malone’s Southern Comfort releases Oct. 4 on SBS Records.
