ALBUM REVIEW: Mother Road – Grace Potter
Some albums just seem to scream road trip and the brand-new full-length Mother Road from GRACE POTTER is certainly one of them. Full of folky guitar lines and some excellent vocal work, this album is not one to miss.
Opening on Mother Road, it feels like the kind of music that could be played on a long, open American road. The short upbeat phrasing of the guitar parts creates a folky feel over the track and the keys give it that signature Americana feel which blends to create a sound that is a little reminiscent of Springsteen.
Ready Set Go is a brilliant track. Starting on some brilliant slide guitar, it has a distinct bluesy feel mixed with a funky drum part. Potter’s vocals are great on this track as they’re strained at points and just casual at others, and the backing vocals are really great too as they create such a thick texture that swells and grows. The song is full of burning attitude and it’s just so much fun to really get into.
Good Time is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. The vocals conjure up images of driving around on American highways and heading into the cities and basically having a good time. Potter sings about not being able to do certain things now but still being able to have a good time and how she used to do other crazy things to have a good time. It’s nostalgic and relatable as she sings “take me back to the good times” which is something everyone seems to have wished for at some point.
At the halfway point Little Hitchhiker tells the story of when Potter ran away from home when she was nine. It is literally just a story track told over an acoustic guitar part with a piano piece in the chorus. The synths come in a little further into the song and give it more of a traveling feel. It’s a beautifully poignant track and it’s clear to see how this experience inspired a lot of Mother Road. Lady Vagabond sounds like the soundtrack to a spaghetti western fused with a more folky rock twist. It’s bombastic and theatrical with the massive drum section and funky guitar riffs whilst the acoustic guitar plays traditional “cowboy” chords.
All Of My Ghosts feels like a little change of pace as it’s a fair bit slower than the rest. Potter sounds more retrospective and beaten down on this track. It’s mostly led by crunchy guitar and drums that basically drive the whole thing. The vocals are strained and feel a little desperate in the chorus which is a side of Potter that has not been heard on this album yet. It’s really immersive and a beautiful track
Masterpiece is the final track and it’s a whole lot of fun. It’s very bouncy, mostly led by piano, with the drums and guitars coming in in the chorus. Potter kind of looks back on her life in this track; it’s full of revelations and describes struggles and good times. It feels a little reminiscent of 9 In The Afternoon by PANIC! AT THE DISCO with its more pop-centred feel but it’s still got the folky guitar fills that really just complete the track and the album as a whole.
Mother Road sounds like the American dream with themes of travelling the open roads and kicking about in bars. It’s a really great album as it’s very folky but with enough of a rock feel that it caters to a lot of different tastes. Not overly complex but not super subtle, this album offers just a straight-up good time and it certainly delivers.
Rating: 8/10
Mother Road is set for release on August 18th via Fantasy Records.
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