Anxious Happy Chill
Tone Tree, 2021
10/10
The Nashville songstress Elise Davis returns with her 3rd studio album, and it comes with a different mindset than her earlier work. Now married, she recorded Anxious Happy Chill after her honeymoon, and, understandably, it’s her happiest record yet, not to mention her best work to date, too.
“Ladybug” starts the listen with plenty of energy as Davis’ smooth vocals set the tone of the record with pop friendly melodies amid some fuzzy grit, and “Yellow Bed” follows with a much calmer pace of poetic beauty amid soft guitar and bare drumming from Fred Eltringham.
Closer to the middle, “Honeymoon” emits much warmth alongside a driving pace of ‘60s tinted garage rock, while “Flame Color” displays strong acoustic guitar prowess as Davis’ expressive pipes shine in the sublime balladry. “Summertime”, another very strong track, then certainly seems like a summer anthem with its reflective mood and soaring spirit that welcomes reverb.
Further yet, “Empty Rooms” brings back the acoustic guitar as a folksy strummer unfolds with eloquence, and “Another Year” exits the listen with a playful country rock display that’s a party anthem in its brief fun.
An album that rocks pretty hard but also has the capacity for stirring intimacy, Davis has always hinted at penning the perfect album, and now it’s here. An enormous talent, if you haven’t familiarized yourself with Elise Davis yet, you’re missing out, cause few artists today are writing songs this memorable.
Travels well with: Lydia Luce- Dark River; Lilly Hiatt- Walking Proof