Country music has always been a fickle scene. Next to Hip-Hop, it might be one of the only styles of music to defy genre and become a lifestyle. But for a style and vibe so distinct, the criteria are pretty simple and straight forward. Well, it used to be anyway. With superstars like Taylor Swift and Keith Urban successfully breaking over into the pop and taking up real estate, its almost as if country artists are ashamed of being country. Where are the hats? The boots? The drinking? The hurting? Have the brightest country stars traded in the pickups and beer bottles for selfies and macchiatos? Not if Emily Nenni can help it!
Emily Nenni may have called the Bay Area home for a time, but since moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she has made a name for herself as one of the most promising acts in country music. Legitimate country music that is. With Nenni, there is no Starbucks and BMWs. The kind of music she performs can only be described as authentic as it can get.
Hell Of A Woman is not only the title of her first full-length album but honestly a call to arms. Each song on Hell Of A Woman showcases Nenni’s commanding Patsy Cline-meets-Dottie West voice in front of a bed of glassy pedal steel and twangy electric guitars. Her wit is sharp and the hooks kick you in the chest when they need to like the title track and “Lover Not A Mother”. But there’s just as much heart and vulnerability in the few ballads like “Finish Line” and “Hurt All Over” (my personal favorite track on the album.)
The lush production and raw, Nashville showmanship are on full, unbridled display on the vinyl version of Hell Of A Woman too. While mostly known for Indie Pop and R&B flavored Rock, Soul Step Records has been adding quite a few classic Country flavored albums to their repertoire thanks to their Footprint Series. Nenni’s Hell Of A Woman stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of The Local Honeys and Fort Defiance. And just like those releases, Hell Of A Woman is pressed on limited edition vinyl. If you’re longing for a solid country record with classic vibes but without all the Los Angeles hype, Hell Of A Woman is the record for you and Emily Nenni is the artist to keep an eye on.
Hell Of A Woman is available on limited edition vinyl exclusively at Soul Step Records.
