The Old Side Of Town
Self-Released, 2020
9/10
Listen to The Old Side Of Town
Although she has made a name for herself playing bluegrass, the ‘Hillbilly Goddess’ Alecia Nugent returns after a 10 year break from music with a country album, where the Louisiana native gets back to her roots across 10 intimate and sometimes heartbreaking tunes.
The title track starts the listen indebted to classic country ideas as Nugent’s soaring pipes guide a warm, pretty landscape, and “I Might Have One Too” follows with soothing balladry as aching pedal steel and expressive singing populate the emotive climate.
At the midpoint, you’ll want to gather up your dancing shoes for the playful shuffling of “Tell Fort Worth I Said Hello”, while “The Other Woman” recruits eloquent piano on the Americana influenced beauty which tells the story of infidelity. “Too Bad You’re No Good”, one of the album’s best, then picks up the pace with string acrobatics alongside a frisky delivery of punchy country rock fun.
Near the end, “I Thought He’d Never Leave” brings the listen back to balladry initially, but then bursts into melodic honky tonk swagger, and the bonus track, “They Don’t Make’em Like My Daddy Anymore”, exits the listen with bluegrass ideas amid the vivid storytelling.
A triumphant return that embraces the many experiences Nugent has sorted through since she left Nashville a decade ago, the songstress finds herself embarking on a new creative chapter with a leap into country sounds, and it’s one we will all be thankful to be a part of.
Travels well with: Sister Sadie- II; Deanie Richardson- Love Hard Work Hard Play Hard