Ashley Monroe - Sparrow

Ashley Monroe was at one time the forgotten member of Pistol Annies.
While she achieved at Top 10 US Country chart placing with her 2013 sophomore release Like A Rose, she did not enjoy the international acclaim of former bandmate Miranda Lambert or critical applause of other bandmate Angaleena Presley.

However all that changed in 2015 when she released the intelligent, insightful and bitingly witty The Blade, which of course saw her nominated for a Grammy award. The Blade changed how the wider music audience viewed the Tennessee songstress, and suddenly the pressure was on for a subsequent release. However her private life took priority, as she welcomed her first child into the world last year. Yet the wait is now over for her expanded and very loyal fanbase, as she unveils Sparrow.

Sparrow could not be any further from its predecessor. Yes Sparrow boasts the beauty of her heart-wrenching honest approach to songwriting, but it is a far more sensual record than The Blade.

Having put to rest her heartache and confusion, it is clear Monroe is in a far more content, confident and sexy state of mind. Although it does not shy away from more traumatic and troubling experiences, most notably the loss of her father in her childhood, with Daddy, I Told You providing one of the album's standout moments.

The album opens with Orphan, which many British fans may recall she debuted back at her London show in 2016. Very much the start of the journey Monroe takes through her chronologically structured 12 song collection. As she sets out taking her first steps, these moments see a lost soul searching for an inner peace that is discovered as the album unravels.A string heavy affair, it sets the tone musically for the album that follows.

With the album veering towards the slow and soulful Country Americana sound, there are a couple of exceptions that really shine. Mother's Daughter and She Wakes Me Up are empowering moments that tell very different stories. Mother's Daughter sees her explore how she has grown into her mother as she has aged, while She Wakes Me Up seems to stem from the questioning of the future as she experiences the growth of her own child inside her.

This Heaven, which continues the ode to her new born son, is without doubt the album's stand out moment. Although the commercial appeal of Wild Love will no doubt mean that this is the song most people will know and love from the record.

Overall Sparrow showcases a very different side to Ashley Monroe's creativity. Yes, she can still play clever lyrically, but Sparrow is a far more directly intimate affair. And it is all the more beautiful for it. Perhaps she may finally win the Grammy she deserves.