Valerie June- Pushin' Against a Stone -2013

                                                  

I just randomly picked an album out of my collection that I have not heard yet. This album is great. It isn't amazing but it sure is wonderful. I really like her and can't wait to hear her other stuff. Valerie June is a Tennessee native who musically is in love with all aspects of southern american roots music ( gospel, blues, country, folk, soul/r&b, americana ,appalachian,  etc). She plays guitar and ukulele, sings  and writes music with a feeling that she would like for the listener to take a ride with her briefly visiting  different styles of music all tied into the southern roots vein. .Released in 2013, not  one song on this album is bad and I would say this is one of those albums that works best listening to the entire album. The songs by themselves are great also. I put all of them on my playlist minus one. That means I like it. I have countless performers on my playlist that I only put on one song of theirs.  Performing on the album as well is Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys, Booker T. Jones from Booker T. and the M.G.'s, Jimbo Mathis from the Squirrel Nut Zippers and the South Memphis String Band, Richard Swift and many others. One of things  I really enjoyed was the way the album is engineered from full sound to stark and minimal.  This is one album that I'm sure I will enjoy it more and more each time I hear it. I'm pleased with my random choice.  The video above is the title track song. Rhett Taylor