Bonnie Montgomery
River


4.0
excellent

Review

by Shamus248 CONTRIBUTOR (124 Reviews)
November 9th, 2023 | 12 replies


Release Date: 11/03/2023 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Arguably the best country album of 2023, Bonnie Montgomery's debut stanza is flavorful and inviting.

I'm still reeling from Jason Aldean's Highway Desperado, which is honestly morbidly impressive when you consider that it'd be such a nothing burger of an album if not for its purposefully ugly lead single "Try That In A Small Town." I'll admit; I, like many, allowed that song to do what it was actually intended to do: elicit an outraged response. It's not hard to see that it was a cheap political statement done solely to goad you into reacting, but what do you do with a song like that? If you leave it alone and don't push back, it feels vindicated in its convictions, however loose they may be. But if you give it the time of day it doesn't deserve, Aldean, along with the audience he's pandering to, dig in their heels and hold their ground. Either way, it seems like they win. And that's a bigger tragedy than most people realize. No one ever tried to meaningfully stop country music from turning into the attenuated farce it's become. So where does that leave artists, especially on the ground level, who still actually give a sh*t about diversity of thought and sound?

Enter Arkansas-born Bonnie Montgomery, a classically trained powerhouse vocalist whose debut studio album River was floating on Bandcamp seemingly waiting for me. River is a brilliantly performed slice of Americana coated in neotraditional grandeur and offers, if for a fleeting moment, a reminder of why country music will always hold a special place in my heart. The appropriately titled project certainly flows and oscillates through different sensations and feelings. On mid-stage highlight "Half Drunk", Montgomery is reassuring a nameless muse to hold on and help her weather life's storms; "Life is hard, I guess ya know, I wouldn’t trade you for peace or war. But just lay low, boy, the tide’s sure to turn," she gracefully pleas. On "I Was Fine", however, she laments that his showing up takes away the "spring" in her step; "Now you’re gone and the room just feels so empty to me," she confesses.

The drawl in Montgomery's voice is scant. The warm timber in her lower register is where she really carves her niche as a vocalist. Fiddles swell and steel guitars croon throughout, but Montgomery's diaristic form of storytelling is what really carries the album forward. The lyrics can be a bit opaque on times, like on the repeated hooks on "No Way Around It" or the opening title track, but neither track reaches a conclusion or crescendo that could jeopardize the intimacy of the music, which is particularly tasteful if that's what Montgomery was going for. Later cut "Seventeen" is almost orchestral, ratcheting up just enough fervor to remind you of an action movie sequence, before gliding into a dreamy and pleasant violin-led bridge.

Though the album plays with a fair bit of structure and consistency, it's not devoid of variety. Penultimate hit "I'll Know" can be defined in equal measure by its vibrant imagery (another of the album's calling cards), but also its bouncy keys, which are germane to that track. Album closer "This Town" is marked by poignant lyrics that stack up to a Taylor Swift verse; "I heard you cry, but I did not see your face," Montgomery proclaims. As it progresses, a statement of optimism is mostly at the fore ("Everything's gonna be alright)", and the plainness is honestly part of its charm. River is a very interesting and tenderly crafted production. I'm eager to see if Bonnie Montgomery will gain any traction in the genre's mainstream; Lord knows we could use more Arkansas apples and less jelly rolls.



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user ratings (9)
3.7
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
xxm
November 9th 2023


257 Comments


Another Great Review, Shamus! Well done.

Shamus248
Contributing Reviewer
November 9th 2023


1137 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thank you as always for the kind words

xxm
November 9th 2023


257 Comments


You’re Welcome.

Onirium
November 9th 2023


3126 Comments


hadn't heard of this one!

the revival of tasteful country has been one of my favorite things about music in the 2020s so far

0GuyMan0
November 9th 2023


4933 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I started this off with some pretty fierce skepticism, expecting to turn it off after this track ends. But something new the guitarist did caught my interest in every track. Seems like they really captured the spirit of what country is supposed to be.

kevnb
November 9th 2023


53 Comments


If you are triggered by "try that in a small town", either you are spending way too much time online or you are insane.

Shamus248
Contributing Reviewer
November 9th 2023


1137 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I think those are both pre requisites for joining Sputnik

tinathefatlard
November 10th 2023


2063 Comments


I’m not even a fan of country and I’m still going to check this out. That’s how good this review is.

0GuyMan0
November 10th 2023


4933 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah it was fantastic.

RadioSuicide
November 10th 2023


2688 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

One of the nicer produced country records I’ve heard in some time

mkmusic1995
Contributing Reviewer
November 27th 2023


2025 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

About halfway through this one and it's definitely one of the best country records of the year. Excellent review as well, Shamus!

Shamus248
Contributing Reviewer
December 4th 2023


1137 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thank you for the kind words!



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