To say they don't make albums like
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville suggests the country landscape was once littered with records as loose, lewd, literate, and lively as this. Certainly,
Lindeville has some antecedents, notably the songs of
Tom T. Hall and the record's namesake
Dennis Linde, a legendary country songwriter whose career spanned from
Elvis Presley's "Burning Love" in 1972 to
the Chicks' signature "Goodbye Earl" in 2000.
McBryde uses the latter as the foundation for her
Lindeville, a collection of character sketches and stories that depict a small town filled with large characters. To bring those personas to life, she brings in a large cast of guests, ranging from collaborators and co-writers
Brandy Clark and
Aaron Raitiere to
Caylee Hammack,
Pillbox Patti, and
Brothers Osborne, whose
John Osborne serves as the ringleader producer. The songs are tied together by commercials touting the businesses that occupy this bustling small town, sketches that emphasize the wit and mess that give the album its distinctive character.
McBryde veers away from the muscular rock that underpinned
Girl Going Nowhere and, to a lesser extent,
Never Will, in favor of a rambling, shambling strum-along that emphasizes a collective voice while also echoing the progressive country of
Tom T. and
Roger Miller. Put simply, it's a delight; it's filled with deftly rendered vignettes and sly jokes, all delivered with heart by
McBryde and frequent foil
Raitiere, whose colorful drawl ensures the punch lines slide by easily. Maybe
Lindeville doesn't sound like many records in 2022 -- although the fact that it overflows with kindred spirits shows
McBryde isn't on her own island -- but the key to its appeal is that it creates its own little world, rooted somewhat in the past and addressing the present yet occupying its own distinct space. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
