It’s not unusual for country musicians to get their start at a young age, but Jordyn Shellhart may be a particular standout in that regard. The Wyoming native ended up in Nashville aged just 10, signed her first publishing deal at 14 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut a year later, being billed as ‘the next Taylor Swift’ before losing her voice. Since then, she’s turned her hand to songwriting, penning tracks for the likes of Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini and Cody Johnson. Now, after 15 years in the music business and finding her voice again, she’s finally releasing her debut album, ‘Primrose’.
The 12-track project opens with ‘Amelia’, which very much sets the template for the next 40 minutes or so of music. Shellhart pairs a poppy, acoustic guitar melody with dark lyrics that hint at domestic violence, as an insidious controlling relationship creeps in through something as simple as changing a name. It has a brilliantly sinister undercurrent about it and really shows her ability as a storyteller before dramatically dropping away at the end and leaving you desperate to know what happens.
That quality of sunshine and darkness together is a thread that runs strongly through ‘Primrose’, whether it’s the upbeat yet cutting ‘Tell Your Mother I’m Fine’ warning away an ex who’s trying to worm his way back into Shellhart’s life or ‘When Something’s Gotta Give’, with its laid-back, hazy melody mirroring the bittersweet lyrics that tell of a drifting, mercurial lover. It takes real skill to be able to pull that off and Shellhart does it with aplomb. Elsewhere, ‘The Only Perfect’ features ethereal verses and a frank, punchy chorus before delivering a twist that shatters Shellhart’s lover’s rose-coloured glasses for a summer romance, whilst the introspective ‘On A Piano Bench Getting Wasted’ has an almost stream of consciousness feel about it as she yearns to find love watching ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and listening to ‘Moon River’ that lingers for a long time after the song finishes.
However, some of the best moments on the album come in the slower songs, where the emphasis is on the details in Shellhart’s lyrics. ‘Who Are You Mad At’ is an early highlight that sees Shellhart struggling to connect with a loved one whilst comparing them to a hurricane, almost pleading in her desperation but also showing that she won’t be pushed around. Meanwhile ‘Dreams Chase You’ is packed with imagery of reading books, growing orchids and selling your guitar to buy a couch and a coffee grinder, yet never quite feeling like it’s enough, and the stripped-back, sugarcoated revenge number ‘Maybe Someday You’ll Have A Daughter’ feels like the more toned down version of Brandy Clark’s ‘Daughter’, but is no less impactful for it.
For me the standout track on the record is ‘Steal A Man’. The track features clever wordplay from Shellhart, pairing ‘September’ and ‘fall’ as she tells of a disloyal partner with a thing about ‘laundromats and skinny girls with bangs’ before turning it back on them and speaking directly to the ‘other woman’ to tell her it isn’t her fault over a dreamy melody laced with synths and keyboards. It’s subtle yet packs a punch and has a quiet strength about it that isn’t often evident in these types of cheating songs. However, the album isn’t all doom and gloom though – I also loved the lively, hopeful ‘Irrelevant’, which is full of warmth and heartfelt affection as Shellhart sings about finding a new love and looking ahead to the future.
Shellhart closes the album with ‘Near-Death Experience’, in which she tells the story of her own birth and childhood after her mother made the decision to keep her. There’s a real sense of openness as she explores the challenges of that relationship, as well as a gratitude for the choice her mum made, and I love the depth of the storytelling she goes into in the song. It’s a lovely, uplifting way to finish the album and for me really highlights Shellhart’s strength as a writer and ability to let the lyrics do the talking in her music.
Overall Jordyn Shellhart has delivered a debut album that’s sure to be a summer soundtrack for many, pairing pretty vocals with powerful, vivid lyrics and lush, gorgeous melodies throughout. If you’re a fan of Kacey Musgraves’ early stuff or Sara Bareilles, then this is definitely an album worth checking out. Shellhart really shows why she’s become such a well-regarded name in the Nashville songwriting community and based on what she’s produced here, I really hope we get to hear more from her in the future – and that she can hopefully make it over to the UK to play live sometime soon!
Track listing: 1. Amelia 2. Who Are You Mad At 3. Tell Your Mother I’m Fine 4. Joni 5. Steal A Man 6. When Something’s Gotta Give 7. Dreams Chase You 8. The Only Perfect 9. Maybe Someday You’ll Have A Daughter 10. On A Piano Bench Getting Wasted 11. Irrelevant 12. Near-Death Experience Record label: Warner Music Nashville Release date: 19th May 2023
