Melissa Carper Bares her Ramblin' Soul
Photo By Lyza Renee
Directly on the heels of her critically acclaimed 2021 LP, Daddy's Country Gold, Melissa Carper barrels into the homestretch of 2022 with a jumping and jovially jazzy new release, Ramblin' Soul. Sure to further intoxicate an already captivated and ever expanding following, the 13 track LP boasts lyrics that read as a romantic vagabond autobiography melded deftly with that distinctive Carper sound born of the blues, the earliest of rock-'n'-roll, classic country, western swing, and steeped in steadfast soul.
Dubbed “HillBillie Holliday” by friend and collaborator Chris Scruggs, Carper's distinctively haunting transcendental style of a bygone era pulls listeners through space and time to the speakeasies of long ago. As the melodies warble and croon over the airwaves, one can't help but feel themselves enveloped in the heavy hang of smoke, and to envision a dimly lit basement room filled with cool cats escorting rebellious ladies in red rouge and exposed calves. The clink and clank of outlawed whiskey glasses materialize in our borrowed memories and harmonize in perfect discord with Melissa's delivery, set to the rhythm of a low grooving stand up bass. This record makes you want to snap, not clap, along.
“Thematically, I had a handful of songs about rambling around and living a free life that I wanted to weave through the album,” Carper says of its conception in an earlier press release. “I wrote the title track driving back home to Texas, and it felt like the seeds of the next album were planted. I also knew I wanted Ramblin’ Soul to have a different feel than Daddy’s Country Gold, with more upbeat and diverse styles and grooves."
Pleased by the successful execution of Daddy's Country Gold last year, Carper opted to work once again with Andrija Tokic (St. Paul and the Dry Bones) and Dennis Crouch (Time Jumpers) who co-produced the album in Nashville's own Bomb Shelter. Some of Nashville's finest session and touring artists appear on the lineup, including Crouch (bass), Chris Scruggs (guitars and steel), John Pahmer (organ and piano), Matty Meyer (drums), Billy Contreras (fiddle), Rory Hoffman (clarinet, piano, nylon-string guitar), Wes Langlois (guitar), Sierra Ferrell and Larry Marrs (George Jones) on harmony vocals, and a backing vocal trio of Kyshona Armstrong,
Maureen Murphy, and Nickie Conley. "They seriously knocked it out of the park," Carper says.
In addition to 10 Carper originals, Ramblin' Soul contains a spunky little track co-written with lifelong rambling buddy Gina Gallina entitled "I Do What I WANNA," the borrowed dandy by Brennan Leigh "Hanging on to You," and a cosmically chill take on Folk pioneer Odetta's "Hit or Miss." The title track was penned by Carper on the road home to Austin and sets the tone and pace for the rest of the tracks, all of which are well-crafted and distinctive, serving as much more than fillers in Carper's increasingly impressive cannon. From the humorously wistful "From What I Recall," to the Patsy Cline-esque nod of "That's My Only Regret," to the tongue-in-cheek, Roger Miller-like approach of "Boxers On Backwards," there isn't an undeveloped or thoughtless tune on the entire body of work. Melissa and her team of producers and musical cohorts have together created a technically sound, creatively distinctive album that authentically encompasses Carper's eclectic foundation and Americana as a whole.
"It was truly a group effort. I was blown away by everyone involved and the resulting soulful and joyful energy of the album. I am excited to get Ramblin' Soul out into the world and hope people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it."
Ramblin' Soul is out in its entirety on all streaming services Friday, November 18th, 2022 via Thirty Tigers. For tour dates and merch, visit the artist's website.
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