Artist:     Dale Ann Bradley

Album:     Things She Couldn’t Get Over

Label:     Pinecastle Recording Company

Release Date:     2.5.2021

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I’m not a regular listener of bluegrass music, but certainly own my fair share of it, as well as new grass, which at 40+ years old, really can’t wear that moniker honestly any more. With that said, I knew anthing about Dale Ann Bradley, but just a glance at the fine print and seeing that old friend Jim Hurst was playing on this, I knew it was going to be a good un’.

The overall sound reminds me of Clare Lynch’s, Front Porch String Band from four decades ago. Well-played traditional bluegrass instrumentation that drives hard when it should, cruises when it needs to, all with vocals that are easy on the ear. Bradley, who has had a stellar career so far, is a five-time IBMA Female Bluegrass Vocalist of the Year, two-time Grammy nominee, a member of The Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame as well as former member of The New Coon Creek Girls and Sister Sadie.

A fine resumé, but what impressed me the most is her strength as a songwriter. That is no more evident than in the title track, which—semi spoiler alert—is not about what you think it will be. As the producer of this set of originals and some time tested tunes, it’s also obvious, Bradley knows how to put it all together. The background vocals on the old gospel tune “After Awhile” caught my ear, and revisiting the ’70s pop country hit “LA International Airport” added a nice touch of nostalgia.

—Ken Spooner