Carly Pearce: ‘hummingbird’ – Album Review

When we last caught up with Carly Pearce, she was fresh off a high-profile divorce and churning out some of the best songwriting in not only her career, but mainstream modern country music. Three years later, Pearce has continued to weave her web of authentic storytelling, but with a fresh, more healed perspective. Out today, June 7th, is Pearce’s fourth studio album hummingbird.

Pearce successfully pulls from heroes of hers, like Loretta and Tammy with the soaring fiddles, melancholy steel guitars, and twangy dobros in a way that becomes distinctive to only Pearce. This is heard throughout the entirety of hummingbird, especially the first four tracks. Second song “truck on fire” (co-written with Lady A’s Charles Kelley) is the perfect mix of classic enough that it’s a shock it hasn’t been written enough to sound exactly like Pearce. Few people can write a clever breakup song like her. Similarly, “still blue”, the following track, has that familiar neotraditional country sound and the familiarly clever turn of phrase that Pearce has developed.

There’s not a song on the project that feels like a throwaway, but there are some definite standouts with “my place”, “rock paper scissors” and “oklahoma”. The latter is lyrically very strong, but it is the vocal performance on “oklahoma”, which lands perfectly in the middle of the record, that reminds you why she is a two-time Female Vocalist of the Year winner. “my place” takes you everywhere you want to go when listening to a song. It’s melodically poignant in a way that Pearce continues to pull off time and time again.

Pearce herself is one of Nashville’s strongest artist-writers, but also believes in letting the best song win, which more major artists should follow. “things I don’t chase” is an example of that. While she did not write the song, it is woven in well with the rest of the album.

It is not that hummingbird is a revolutionary country album or even chronologically cohesive in the way her previous bodies of work are. What makes this album still a standout in Pearce’s discography is that it truly solidifies her roll as one of music’s strongest storytellers and vocalists. Pearce is distinctive in a way people spend their whole careers trying to figure out. Whether it’s your style or not, it’s hard not to love her music – you will always recognize a Pearce song, even from afar.

Keepin’ The Lights On Track List:

1. country music made me do it | Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
2. truck on fire | Written by Carly Pearce, Justin Ebach, Charles Kelley
3. still blue | Written by Carly Pearce, Natalie Hemby, Josh Osborne
4. heels over head | Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
5. we don’t fight anymore featuring Chris Stapleton | Written by Carly Pearce, Pete Good, Shane McAnally
6. rock paper scissors | Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
7. oklahoma | Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds
8. my place | Written by Carly Pearce, Lauren Hungate, Jordan Reynolds
9. things I don’t chase | Written by Robyn Dell’Unto, Kat Higgins, Ava Supplesa
10. woman to woman | Written by Carly Pearce, Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate
11. fault line | Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds
12. pretty please | Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
13. trust issues | Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
14. hummingbird | Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds

Country Swag Picks:

1. country music made me do it
2. rock paper scissors
3. woman to woman
4. hummingbird