Album Review: Logan Brill 'Shuteye'

Tennessee native Logan Brill released her first album, 2013’s Walking Wires to critical acclaim…which is something she should prepare herself for more of when her sophomore album, Shuteye, drops on June 2nd. The project contains twelve tracks, two co-written by Brill and the others penned by such respected songwriters as Ryan Tyndell, Don Schlitz, Chris Stapleton and Natalie Hemby, among others. The lyrics and melodies grab you, while Brill’s vocals convey emotions from sassy and sexy to sorrowful, forming a record that is a complete listen from start to finish, with songs blending country, rock and the blues into something special.

The record kicks off with single “Shuteye” a gritty, bluesy, sexy number about “crawling around on a Monday morning like a zombie” because her “baby won’t let me get no shuteye” (she’s not complaining). Personal favorite “World Still Round,” reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt, reminds one that like the laws of the universe, there are laws of love that can’t change. “Time moves on, gravity pulls down/ You don’t love me and the world’s still round.” There’s lots of swagger packed into the under three minute “Don’t Pick It Up” where she warns her ex that if he sees her number on his phone don’t answer it because then she’ll know the “that door is closed, the window's shut.”

“Far Cry From You,” “The Bees” and “Where Rainbows Never Die” are a triad of emotionally charged songs. The latter is about a woman “bound for glory,” but rather than being solemn, the song’s up tempo melody finds her reflecting on life and feeling settled, ready to “trade my troubles for a crown.”

“Tupelo” paints a vivid picture of the place her heart calls home while “Halfway Home,” written by Lori McKenna and Barry Dean, encourages a female to value herself and not settle for a relationship when there is real love down the road.

There are two guest appearances on the record--David Nail on “Woman On Your Mind” and Charlie Worsham on “I Wish You Loved Me”. The latter, a ballad, closes the record on an incredibly somber note that really connects with the listener. “I wish summer would last through winter/And I wish that my ring as still on ur finger/I wish that laughter didn’t make me feel lonely/And I wish you loved me as much as you don’t.”

While there certainly is a lack of females on country radio, there are many who are releasing quality material, just waiting to be heard. Brill is one of those artists and hopefully radio will open it's eyes and add her to the playlist.

Purchase Shuteye here

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