BY LESLEY HASTINGS
Released last Friday, “Dangerous in Denim” (who doesn’t love that alliteration!) may well be the third album from Australian Max Jackson but to my mind it also acts as a great introduction to her music if, like me, she was unknown to you before.
She has writing credits on all eleven of the album’s tracks which are very strong lyrically with a good balance of humour and reflection in the mix, reminding me at various points along the way of Gretchen Wilson, Ashley McBryde and Lainey Wilson.
Vocally, Max is equally impressive rocking out with her band on the project’s fast tempo offerings as she is on the more stripped back ballads.
Her playful side comes out immediately on the album’s short, spoken introduction, which takes the form of a police APB warning about a guitar-toting blond woman, dressed in denim, who has been disturbing the peace ……cue the first song, “Red Dirt ROCKNROLL“, an attacking, drum-led anthem to fearlessness and partying hard ! Yeah, she sounds like someone I’d love to be friends with. AC/DC and George Jones get mentioned in the same breath, there’s multiple references to her New South Wales roots and I can only imagine how good this one is live. A co-write alongside Nashville’s Buddy Owen’s I see, as is the next track “Goin’ Nowhere Now” which continues in the energetic vein with drums again to the fore (in general I do find them a bit too overpowering throughout much of the album) but there is plenty of banjo and fiddle in the mix here and indeed further down the line for the more country purists . It’s an appreciation of taking a step back and enjoying a bit of down time amid life’s hectic times, that theme carrying through to the next track, “GRASS“, which takes the tempo down slightly as Max sings about being grateful for what you have …. “you worry ’bout the Joneses over the fence, the grass is always greener but the grass is pretty green here”.
One of my favourites on the album is up next, the solo write “Shotgun Slide” which just made me smile immediately I heard it! Such a cute, catchy little song which paints a sweet picture of innocence on a date. It shows a more gentle side to Max which continues on “We Invented Love“, her vocals really shining through on this reflective love song.
“Bring It In” sees a return to a more attacking, punchy sound as Max sings about successfully sustaining a relationship despite the challenges life throws at you, before things come back down again with the stunning ballad “A Country Heart Can“. Another impressive solo write which has apparently been featured on a national television show in Australia, this almost acoustic 6/8 track is a really beautiful declaration of forever love which fortunately avoids being too twee. It cleverly references different aspects of country living, including the hard work involved….. “We’ll be covered in dirt til we’re covered in dirt under that old oak tree” she tells her partner in the break.
But immediately Max takes things back up again on “1990 Somethin‘”, bringing a real honky tonk party atmosphere to proceedings on this fun number. Nods to the titular decade include the song Achy Breaky Heart and country artists Shania and Alan Jackson, another song that will no doubt be particularly well received at her live shows.
When it comes to the penultimate track “Hold My Horses” the feisty side of Max really shines through on this energetic song which emulates her determination as she sings about chasing her dreams. “I ain’t going to wait around, the time is now” ….no one can hold her back and I don’t envy anyone who tries to.
Rounding off a very impressive album is “Little More Country” and I love the concept behind this one! Wouldn’t the world be a better place if it was more human, kind, honest and true ….basically a little more country? One of several tracks released as a single, it’s given rise to Max “countrifying” several songs outside the genre, and her “Little More Country Sessions” EP (including “Dancing Queen” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”) is well worth checking out!
To quote Max, the meaning of the album’s title to her is that “when you show up in the world confident and comfortable in who you are, you really are a force to be reckoned with, and you can really achieve anything“. That sums up the vibe I got from this project, and it’s no surprise to hear that Max is making waves “down under”, including a string of hit singles and four Golden Guitar Awards.
I’m confident that her inaugural visits to the UK and Germany next month for the C2C Festival will win her a ton of new fans on this side of the world, she’s definitely on my “must see” list!
Stream/Download ” Dangerous In Denim” here
https://orcd.co/dangerousindenim?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
More artist information here