Artist: Violet Delancey
Album: When the Clock Strikes Midnight
Label: Self Released
Release Date: 02/19/2016
Violet Delancey creates an Americana blend with her twangy, sweet vocals and blues and folk instrumentals such as pedal steel and mandolin on her debut, When the Clock Strikes Midnight. Delancey isn’t what would be expected from a Southern California vocalist, instead seeming as if she hails from the deep South. Her move to Nashville, TN, in 2013 was just a confirmation of her true inspiration, and as she began to emerge herself in the culture, her music became emboldened and her storytelling reached new limits. Her beautiful songwriting abilities put her in the vein of Emmylou Harris and other seasoned country stars, in part thanks to her collaboration with Brent Truitt, who worked with Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss.
The title track kicks off the album with a decided direction. There is no hiding the country leanings and infectious groove. “Lost Along the Way” delves further into Delancey’s storytelling abilities with an honest love story. “Back to the Sea” begins with a softer melody and raw lyrics. “I’ve been trying to find my way back to the sea. In the back of my mind, that’s where you will always be” are heart-wrenching lyrics of holding onto lost memories with this innate hope that we can’t ever quite lose, no matter how much we’ve accepted the reality.
“Sing the Night Away” picks up the pace, along with Celtic-leaning “My Irish Man.” The fiddle leads the danceable melody, leading into the similar vibes of next track “Walk Along This Road.” “Luxury Liner” is even groovier, blazing along at heart-pounding speeds with guitar and fiddle flying, before “First Goodbye” ends things with a bittersweet farewell, saying goodbye to firefly summers and first lovers. The sweetness of memories will never truly be lost to sadness.
-Kalyn Oyer
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