What a pleasure it is to honor how we got to where we’re going.
Classic country music songs have met the voices of so many over the decades, and for Kelsey Waldon, singing said songs isn’t just a joy, it’s an imperative way of life. And on May 10th, the modern country and roots singer-songwriter from the sprawling metropolis of Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky, showed her appreciation in the form of a collaborative 8-track album, There’s Always a Song.
S.G Goodman, acclaimed American singer-songwriter and long-time friend of Waldon, joined the project’s standout second track, “Hello Stranger,” an ode to Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard’s 1973 tune. The duo’s back-and-forth vocal calls are as sweet and buttery as can be, and their modern take brings a new grit and liveliness that both honors and highlights its tradition.
A bobbing throwback to the late great Ralph Stanley’s rolling days, “I Only Exist” features Issac Gibson, lead singer of alt-country rockers 49 Winchester. The mountain-song tradition rings through this track as easy as sprouting bluegrass in Kentucky, and the pedal steel cries beautifully under Gibson and Waldon’s grand vocals for this wallowsome tune.
Bill Monroe’s monumental contributions earn a spot on the album, as fiddle phenom and singer-songwriter Amanda Shires joins forces with Waldon as they take on the number “Uncle Pen.” With jiving harp and a half-time feel, Waldon hints at Goose Creek Symphony’s 1971 version of the tune, but her present-day remake delivers a name for itself regardless.
Straight from Molly O’Day’s catalog, “Traveling the Highway Home” brings Waldon and Margo Price together to share the lead on this high-speed hoedown that kicks the pedal to the metal. It’s a classic hard-driving country road number with the power of two of today’s top tier country singers at the wheel. Price and Waldon’s rendition transports you to a certain time and place — right back to O’Day’s heyday.
As one of if not the last of John Prine’s last signees to Oh Boy Records, the Monkey’s Eyebrow native’s star has since only risen in the past several years. She dropped her first Oh Boy album, White Noise / White Lines in 2019, and her latest record, No Regular Dog, hit in 2022.
The collection of career-inspiring honky tonk hits was well-received as anticipated, as it landed a spot on NPR’s New Music Friday: The Best Albums Out May 10th, 2024 list and the Best Country Music on Bandcamp May 2024 list among other praises.
There’s Always a Song plays tribute to not only the classic voices of down-home American country, bluegrass, and folk music, but also to the modern torchbearers to whom she marches with carrying tradition on.
Waldon is currently in the midst of a West Coast tour, with her next show being tomorrow night July 30th at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC, along with the help of her pals in 49 Winchester.
*Note: Paul Howard contributed to this article
