(Kaplots Wreckchords)

Appealing presentation, really bad music

In Danielle Blakey’s defence, I only managed to make it through her entire album once, so I perhaps overlooked a depth that only reveals itself after repeated listens. But I doubt it. Contemporary country music is, to these ears, some form of divine punishment for two millennia of sins (referring to the Lee Kernaghan school of contemporary country). In keeping within generic conventions, Blakey limits her musical palette to just two shades of the tired genre, and though her occasional uptake of pop-influenced production tricks shows signs of ambition, they’re never deployed heavily enough to distract from the source material. Even Blakey’s catwalk model looks fall short of offsetting the beige performances. Perhaps a country aficionado will appreciate this release on a level that I’m too cultured to understand. For the majority of listeners though, it will be an exercise in patience and tolerance. I failed. My guess is that you will too.

MATT HICKEY

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