NYCS First Impression: Carly Pearce’s Self Titled Album

Carly Pearce is giving her fans a special gift this Valentine’s Day with the release of her self-titled sophomore album. The thirteen song collection shows Pearce expanding her sound, showing off a variety of sides, including flirty, empowering, and more.

For Pearce, this album is a personal one, as it was produced by late songwriter/producer, Busbee, and marks his final full work. Pearce revealed to PopCulture.com about Busbee’s contributions to her career. “I feel like we both felt like this album would be the one that really put my flag in the ground, and hopefully took me to the next level. And we had so much fun making this one. I would just tell him, in the last two records, and since the beginning of Every Little Thing, he helped me find my voice. He helped me find my artistry. He helped me get my dream and I’m just forever grateful to that and really, really proud of what we did.”

The album opens with a pair of fun up-tempo tracks, drawing listeners in immediately with the catchy one-two punch of “Closer to You” and “Call Me.” However, it’s tracks four and five that show Pearce at her best. On the twangy “Dashboard Jesus,” written by Victoria Banks, Sara Haze, and Emily Shackelton, Pearce is a girl who leaves home in search of something bigger. “As long as she’s going somewhere/ It doesn’t matter to her anyway/ Everybody says she’s dreamin’/ Call her crazy for believin’/ Sometimes all you really need is/ Fifty dollars and a dashboard Jesus.”

Track five is the emotive “Halfway Home,” written by Pearce, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz. “You can try to tell a heart/ To feel somethin’ that it don’t,” She sings, her voice practically breaking. “But halfway to heaven isn’t heaven/ And halfway home just ain’t home.”

“I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Pearce’s chart-climbing duet with Lee Brice, is another of the album’s highlights, putting an optimistic spin on a broken relationship. “I hope you find what you were looking for/ I hope your heart ain’t hurting anymore/ And you get moving on, all figured out/ And you don’t hate me somehow/ ‘Cause I hope you’re happy now.”

While Pearce’s duet with Brice is bittersweet, her collaboration with husband, Michael Ray, is 100% saccharine. On the R&B tinged mid-tempo, co-written by Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Ashley Gorley, and Jesse Frasure, they sing of knowing each other so well that they know what the other’s thinking.

Pearce shines on empowering songs, as evidenced by “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” which she co-wrote with Sam Ellis and Natalie Hemby. Another of the album’s highlights is the ode to women and their strength, titled “Woman Down.” Here she sings, “She can make a mountain move/ And do it in her high heeled shoes/ If she ain’t back up yet, just stick around/ You can’t keep a woman down.”

For Pearce, this album is the perfect follow up to 2017’s Every Little Thing. With the variety of songs and stories here, she continues to prove that she’s one of country music’s most exciting new female voices.

CARLY PEARCE TRACKLIST:
1. “Closer To You” | Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Troy Verges
2. “Call Me” | busbee, Emily Shackelton, Phillip Sweet, Jimi Westbrook
3. “I Hope You’re Happy Now (Carly Pearce and Lee Brice)” | Carly Pearce, Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton
4. “Dashboard Jesus” | Victoria Banks, Sara Haze, Emily Shackelton
5. “Halfway Home” | Carly Pearce, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
6. “Heart’s Going Out Of Its Mind” | Carly Pearce, Joe Ginsberg, Laura Veltz
7. “Finish Your Sentences (Carly Pearce and Michael Ray)” | Kelsea Ballerini, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Thomas Rhett
8. “It Won’t Always Be Like This” | Carly Pearce, Sam Ellis, Natalie Hemby
9. “Lightning In A Bottle” | Hannah Ellis, Anna Vaus
10. “Love Has No Heart” | Sara Haze, Shane McAnally, Trevor Rosen
11. “Woman Down” | Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
12. “You Kissed Me First” | Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson
13. “Greener Grass” | Hillary Lindsey, Jonny Price, Ben West

To keep up with Carly Pearce follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Pearce will play at Joe’s Pub in NYC on March 10 as part of the Songs for a Cause concert along with Michael Ray, Ryan Griffin, and Luke Laird. For more tour dates and tickets, visit her official website.

NYCountry Swag Picks:
1. Woman Down
2. Halfway Home
3. Dashboard Jesus
4. I Hope You’re Happy Now

Carly Pearce is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

 

 

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