Album Review: Erin Enderlin 'Whiskey Town Crier'

-Adrian

Until now, Arkansas native Erin Enderlin has mainly been known as a songwriter, penning tunes for the likes of Alan Jackson's (“Monday Morning Church”), Lee Ann Womack (“Last Call”), and Luke Bryan (“You Don't Know Jack”) - as well as for Randy Travis, Terri Clark, Joey + Rory, and more.
Enderlin is set to release her upcoming album, Whiskey Town Crier, on Friday, September 1. The record was produced by Jamey Johnson and Jim “Moose” Brown and features artists such as Chris Stapleton, Randy Houser, Ricky Skaggs, and Jon Randall. 

Whiskey Town Crier puts all the sad souls Enderlin has become known for singing and writing about in the same tiny, fictional city. The result is a unique concept album devoted to women’s experiences in small town America.

“Intro” sets the scene for the album, explaining the ‘concept’ behind it - a concept that would make a great film. The slow-burning “Caroline” has a ‘down home’ bluesy feel, and “Ain’t It Just Like a Cowboy” is a beautiful tear-jerker with some wonderful steel guitar, while “The Blues Are Alive and Well” - with its gloriously heartfelt lyrical refrain: “as long as there’s whiskey, a song by Keith Whitley and my baby loves somebody else, blues are alive and well” - is for me what country music is all about.

“Home Sweet Home” is a further slice of brilliance and Enderlin’s voice truly shines on it. “Till It’s Gone” and the Randy Houser duet “The Coldest in Town” are yet more high points on an album that’s packed full of them.

Whiskey Town Crier follows the artist’s self-titled EP from 2011 and a 2013 LP, I Let Her Talk. For more information visit HERE.

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