A note readers. Music Sin Fronteras has covered live fusion Latin-Gringo music performances, but The logistics of seeing concerts by bands doing original music in Guadalajara have gotten more complex. So I am going to take advantage of the 200+ songs submitted to me every week and mix reviews along with live concert coverage. This week is a review the rising American country star Jessica Lynn. Next week, I interview the young Mexican piano player/songwriter Katrina Trejo and review her new album Entre Tumbas y Flores (Between Tombs and Flowers). Hope you like the mix.
The latest edition of Grammy.com’s on-line magazine hails the new generation of singer/songwriters in country music who are telling stories of modern America struggling with its identity and its problems, while remaining faithful to country music’s stylings. One of those – although not mentioned in the article – is Jessica Lynn. Her newly released album, Lone Rider not only puts her in the forefront of the new generation of country western singer/songwriters, but in the forefront of artists of any genre.
Clever songwriting that goes far beyond beer, pickup trucks and someone done somebody wrong songs, Lynn mixes social commentary with classic themes of love, fun and heartbreak, but frames them in today’s world. Her vocals are delivered with an eye-twinkle and a grin, her music is classic country packed with earworms and hooks, but her underlying messages are powerful, building on the statement in her 2021 hit “Not Your Woman”.
And she delivers them with an equally powerful voice.
Each of the 13 songs in Lone Rider stands out as both unique and classic; each is statement on its own, but with a sound that will last and last. They range from the two-stepping twangy country “Getaway Car” to the mysterious and pointed title song “Lone Rider”, to the sultry and triumphant kickdrum-driven “The Morning Always Comes”. And I could listen all day to the nostalgic, slide-guitar painted “Better Than That”.
Lynn is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon, carrying the best of American values around the world. She is an advocate for the men and women in uniform, the arts, and animals. She mentors young women and children worldwide and was invited to The United Nations this year for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Jessica was chosen by The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2020 and 2021 to be an elite member of American Music Abroad and travel worldwide as an ambassador for American music and culture.
Jessica has shared stages with some of country and rock music’s superstars such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Richard Marx, Montgomery Gentry, Lonestar, Jo Dee Messina, ZZ Top, and Loretta Lynn. And her songs top country charts and playlists around the world.
Lone Rider is another triumph in Jessica Lynn’s journey. But it is more than that – it is her – and our – affirmation that country music is evolving with America and remains a vital force in what is the best of America. You will listen to Lone Rider with a full heart, happy ears and confidence that our future is good hands musically.
Lone Rider. Released 9/5/22 is available for streaming and downloads on all platforms.
Patrick O’Heffernan
