From being on The Voice, and performing with Marty Stuart, Morgan Frazier, Eric Paslay, Bucky Covington, and many more, Kelsie May is a young, but already a seasoned musician. She has undeniable talent, and a classic country-Loretta Lynn vibe that is missing in many country singers today. This EP is her first EP on iTunes, and a clear representation of her spunky attitude and beautiful style of music. May throws back to the sounds of older country music, causing her to stand out from the pop-country artists trying to make it.
The EP begins with the uptempo, "The Same Way." A common topic, but May's vocals truly shine in this track. One thing that has disappeared in country recently (along with many other things) is the female country singers actually having southern accents. All of the big country singers, Carrie, Kacey, Taylor, all have pretty mild accents or nothing at all. Miranda Lambert comes the closest, but even hers is pretty mild. May actually has an accent. Not a fake-sounding one like Raelynn, but a real Kentucky accent. It is so refreshing to hear that even with a strong accent, her voice still is incredible and stretches across all genres with it's power.
"Land" comes next. Although the weakest track on the EP, this song is still good, and undeniably 'Kelsie May.' Out of all of the tracks on the EP, this is the most pop-influenced and the song that sounds the most like the music on country radio today. From the muted drum beats at the beginning, to the lyrics, this song is country pop. There's some Taylor Swift influence in the production, which is not a surprise, given May's public obsession with Swift's music. The lyrics are the low point of the song. They are somewhat bland, just like everything else on the radio today. Even so, a low for May is not very low at all, so compared to most country music these days, this is still a pretty decent song.
"Land" comes next. Although the weakest track on the EP, this song is still good, and undeniably 'Kelsie May.' Out of all of the tracks on the EP, this is the most pop-influenced and the song that sounds the most like the music on country radio today. From the muted drum beats at the beginning, to the lyrics, this song is country pop. There's some Taylor Swift influence in the production, which is not a surprise, given May's public obsession with Swift's music. The lyrics are the low point of the song. They are somewhat bland, just like everything else on the radio today. Even so, a low for May is not very low at all, so compared to most country music these days, this is still a pretty decent song.
A highlight on the EP is "Young Love." Instrumented by just acoustic guitar, it's a sparsely produced track, actually the acoustic version of the original track, which was released in early 2014. This version is better than the original, giving more room for May to show of her powerful vocals and her R&B flair. As she gets older, and she begins to hone her sound even more, it is obvious that May will have a soulful element in her music, bringing back an element to country music that has been lost to hip hop influences in the last few years.
The EP ends with "Highway 23," seemingly the most personal song on the EP. Co-written by May herself, this track discusses May's hometown, and her childhood in general. This is a classic country song, with the throwback production, and the lyrics about life in a small town in Kentucky. The song starts out with:
"I'm just a young thing from Kentucky,
where the horses run wild and free.
And the wind plays a gentle love song,
through the wild willow trees."
May sets up the song with this description and then picks up the tempo a bit later to add a more swing-dance feel to the track. This song has beautiful lyrics that are stereo-typically 'country,' but at least don't speak of tailgates and tan-lines.
It is a welcome change to see a young woman singing about something she knows, and not jumping forward and trying to sing about things that women many years her senior are singing about. The songs on this EP represent May as a singer, and a person. It is obvious that she has a connection to every single one of them, which is easily conveyed through her performance on the tracks. May poured her heart into this small four song EP, and it is a truly excellent EP. When she makes her full, debut album, country music better watch out! Kelsie May is here.
Best tracks: The Same Way, Young Love
Throwaway tracks: Land
Overall rating: 4 crowns
The EP ends with "Highway 23," seemingly the most personal song on the EP. Co-written by May herself, this track discusses May's hometown, and her childhood in general. This is a classic country song, with the throwback production, and the lyrics about life in a small town in Kentucky. The song starts out with:
"I'm just a young thing from Kentucky,
where the horses run wild and free.
And the wind plays a gentle love song,
through the wild willow trees."
May sets up the song with this description and then picks up the tempo a bit later to add a more swing-dance feel to the track. This song has beautiful lyrics that are stereo-typically 'country,' but at least don't speak of tailgates and tan-lines.
It is a welcome change to see a young woman singing about something she knows, and not jumping forward and trying to sing about things that women many years her senior are singing about. The songs on this EP represent May as a singer, and a person. It is obvious that she has a connection to every single one of them, which is easily conveyed through her performance on the tracks. May poured her heart into this small four song EP, and it is a truly excellent EP. When she makes her full, debut album, country music better watch out! Kelsie May is here.
Best tracks: The Same Way, Young Love
Throwaway tracks: Land
Overall rating: 4 crowns
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