Rambling has long been a common bond among musicians. Countless songs have been written about the wanderlust musicians have experienced. Melissa Carper is a musician for whom wanderlust is nothing unusual. She has plied her trade in New York, Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville, among other places.
She has been part of bands like Sad Daddy and Buffalo Gals. Her new album Daddy’s Country Gold features some of Nashville’s best session players as well as appearances by Lloyd Green, Brennen Leigh, and Sierra Ferrell.
Right away, you can tell that you’re in for an album that is much different than what you might ordinarily hear. “Makin’ Memories” has a mellow jazzy sound and feel similar to some of Pokey Lafarge’s early songs.
The whole album has an old-time feel. It ranges from the western swing sounds of “Old Fashioned Gal” to the classic country of “Back When”, a song that would have been right at home on one of those old shows where the set looks like a barn and the music stage is adorned with hay bales.
Part of the beauty of this album is its focus on the genuine and simple. “Would You Like to Get Some Goats” is a song that applauds seemingly simple things. In addition to the question in the title, another question posed in this song is “Would you like to bake a pie with me?” No matter how many songs you’ve heard in your life, it’s nice to hear one that celebrates simple pleasures with someone you love.
If it takes a cheating song to make a country album, then you can say this album is complete. Only the cheating song on this album is a little bit different than a lot of the cheating songs you’ll hear. In it, Carper sings about finding a new car that’s shiny and red. She goes on to sing about how driving the new car “feels like cheating on my old Chevy van”. The tempo is slow and the sound of the pedal steel gives it the kind of sadness that is needed for a cheating song.
Some albums are great for road trips. You certainly could use this as the soundtrack for your next road trip. However, this one is better suited for a sunny day sipping lemonade (with or without the addition of your favorite alcohol) on a front porch. It’s also perfect for a day when you’ve got no plans to go anywhere.
