Rachel Brooke - Down In The Barnyard

Rachel Brooke’s new album DOWN IN THE BARNYARD is just perfect for fans of traditional old style country. Rachel has been getting a lot of praise for her music and rightly so. Her voice is just perfect for the old timey country songs she sings. She has been compared to The Carter Family and even totted as a female Hank Williams. The album kicks off with The Barnyard. A slow song packed full of traditional vocals and backing instrumentation. Rachel’s voice was made for singing country/bluegrass songs. Lonesome For You has a slightly more modern feel than the opening song. Listening to this song Stacey Earle comes to mind maybe mixed with a bit of Gillian Welch. Must Be Somethin’ In The Water is a slow haunting song. With the popularity of The Secret Sisters souring this release should certainly do well! City Of Shame is a lovely traditional country song. Me and Rose Connelly is a softer song with less of a raw organic sound. Rachel’s vocals are more polished on this pure country number. How Cold is another great old timey country/bluegrass song. Meet Me By The Apple Tree is a pleasant old fashioned country song. The Legend Of Morrow Road hides a story within its lyrics. With crackly backing this song has plenty of atmosphere. Please Give Me A Reason is a fine country song. Rachel’s voice never grates, if anything it gets more pleasing on the ear with every song. Gather And Hear concentrates more on the instrumentation than vocals. Mean Kind Of Blues sees the mood change completely. This is a heavy country song with plenty of angst. I Don’t Worry has some great instrumentation. The final song on the album Don’t Forget Me When I Die is a lovely bluegrass number. All in all this album is rather charming and has some delightful songs that showcase old timey country/bluegrass really well.