BY LESLEY HASTINGS
Since moving to Nashville from Hull (no, not here in UK, but a small town just outside Athens, Georgia!) to study Songwriting and Music Business at Belmont University, Mackenzie Carpenter has become one of music city’s most successful rising stars and in demand writers with her songs cut by artists including Megan Moroney and Lily Rose.
It is now time for Mackenzie to shine as an artist in her own right. Signed to Big Machine and having released a well-received EP and multiple singles, her long-awaited debut album “Hey Country Queen” is out this now via The Valory Music Co. And the thirteen tracks (which unsurprisingly Mackenzie has all co-written, and just look at the calibre of her collaborators on the track listing below!) are a really fantastic showcase of her talents. Like the country queens who have inspired her journey and paved the way, she is not afraid to “tell it like it is”, drawing on her experiences and observations to craft some very relatable songs. The album is a fabulous mix of the fun and catchy alongside more heartfelt ballads, and vocally Mackenzie delivers every time.
Her fun side is immediately evident from the first two tracks, “Dozen Red Flags” and the flirty “Boots On” (anyone else get Buddy Holly “Not Fade Away” vibes from the rhythm section of this one? Am I showing my age?). I must say that when I first heard the album opener I was immediately obsessed, and I loved how the title itself was a clever twist on the familiar romantic gesture of a dozen red roses. Written with her frequent collaborator/multi instrumentalist/producer Brandon Hood and songwriting royalty Nicolle Galyon, it will no doubt resonate with many and I envisage it being a big sing-along song at shows. Who hasn’t at some point been blinded by love so much that they ignore the numerous warning signs telling them to run a mile (for me anyone who “don’t like my dog” would hopefully be dumped immediately regardless of whether he was “cute” and “funny!”).
And can we take a moment to appreciate the gloves in the accompanying video! No wonder that the album is to be released on red vinyl.
Ok, once you’ve seen through him and dumped the loser, there’s a timely reminder a few tracks later (courtesy of the same songwriting team) to make the split permanent as Mackenzie warns us “Don’t Mess With Exes” …..I can just imagine her wagging her finger at her friend who was walked out on in Dallas and now finds that her “heart is in a lone star state” (what a clever play on words) and is tempted to make that call which she’ll only end up regretting. I love the song’s jazzy/bluesy feel, there’s some lovely variety in the production throughout the album. It’s one of two songs on the album (alongside “Jesus I’m Jealous“) that first appeared on her EP and will hopefully get their chance to really shine here.
I’ll mention just one more of the lighter tracks on this project, one of six tracks not available until release day, and that’s “Gone Fishin‘” which turns out to be such a gal power write as the story it tells unfolds. A more swampy production which perfectly suits the title, a cheating husband who uses the excuse of a fishing trip to hide his affair is rumbled but his wife gets the last laugh….ok, no more spoilers, I’ll leave it to you to find out how this one unravels!
So, moving on to the ballads that Mackenzie seems equally at home both writing and delivering, and you can really feel the emotions she has either experienced herself or seen others go through. Mostly heartbreakers, the exception is the stunning love song “Only Girl“, a gorgeous waltz that is set to become a wedding staple I’m sure if it hasn’t already since its release as a single last Summer, just in time for wedding season!
But of course country music is renown for its tearjerkers, and among my favourites in that respect on this album are two which actually follow one other….”Red Wine Blue” and the aforementioned “Jesus I’m Jealous” (which I’ve been such a fan of since it first saw the light of day a couple of years ago) with both painting pictures so vividly, something I really appreciate when listening to music. Focussing here on the brand new song, “Red Wine Blue“, this reflective breakup write which has some wonderful steel in the mix, by the way, has Mackenzie wallowing in misery with her drink of choice for situations like this. There’s a really great second verse that tells why she has shunned a variety of alternative alcoholic beverages! I love how there’s a sudden realisation (wine fuelled I guess!) in the song’s break that she’ll probably never love anyone the way she loved her ex……yeah, we’ve all felt that at some point haven’t we, especially after a few drinks, and usually we are proven wrong further down the line! This is the song that’s probably been the biggest “grower” for me on the album.
Having just mentioned my penchant for songs painting pictures, have a listen to the ballad “Guys Like You”. As with many of my favourite songwriters, Mackenzie strikes me as a great observer and (as is the case with “Jesus I’m Jealous“) this song instantly transported me to the bar where she sits watching others . This time it’s a particular girl, she both notices and imagines that she has all the traits that men are attracted to…..traits she lacks herself. But magnanimously in this song there’s no jealousy.
Ok, I obviously can’t review this album without mentioning the collaboration with Mackenzie’s label mates, Midland, “I Wish You Would“, a dreamy throwback to classic country duets with Mark Wystrach’s vocals blending so well with Mackenzie’s. Once again we are in a bar, this time with a couple who have obviously got a lot of chemistry going on between them (the electricity is tangible throughout the track) with both wanting things to go to the next level ….it really creates a steamy atmosphere!
I think it’s always great for an album to end on an uplifting note, and that’s exactly what happens here with the closing track “Country Queen“. And guess where it’s set…..yes, we’re in a bar once more . And no, I don’t mind at all! It’s an incredible song, one of the most stripped back production-wise which really highlights the emotional vocals as Mackenzie aims to reassure the heartbroken girl it’s addressed to that she’s “dodged a bullet” …. “he ain’t no king, you country queen you’re gonna be alright“. It’s a hug in a song, and a fitting way to end a truly impressive debut from an artist I’m convinced we will hear a lot more about and from in the future.
In the more immediate future, Mackenzie is of course visiting us here in the UK next week when she performs at C2C in London.
What an exciting week for you, Mackenzie, enjoy every minute.
Stream/Download the album here https://mackenzie.lnk.to/HeyCountryQueenWE
“Hey Country Queen” Track List
- Dozen Red Flags” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Nicolle Galyon, Brandon Hood)
- “Boots On” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Rhett Akins, Brandon Hood, Ben Williams)
- “Only Girl” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, Mia Mantia, SJ McDonald)
- “I Wish You Would (ft. Midland)” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Jonathan Hutcherson, Jamie Moore, Chris Tompkins)
- “Don’t Mess With Exes” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Nicolle Galyon, Brandon Hood)
- “Gone Fishin’” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Mia Mantia, SJ McDonald)
- “Red Wine Blue” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Luke Laird, Anna Vaus)
- “Jesus, I’m Jealous” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Steve Moakler)
- “Sound Of A Heartbreak” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Brandon Hood, Liz Rose)
- “Cowgirl Like Me” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, Lauren LaRue)
- “Guys Like You” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Nicolle Galyon, Brandon Hood)
- “The Other Side” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Mia Mantia, SJ McDonald)
- “Country Queen” (Mackenzie Carpenter, Jessie Jo Dillon, Ben Johnson)
More artist information and links to socials here https://www.mackenziecarpentermusic.com/
