Into The West
OMG, 2024
9/10
The debut from the youngster Birdie Nichols, at just 17 the songstress delivers like a seasoned vet across these 10 country spirited tunes.
The upbeat and warm title track opens with West’s smooth pipes guiding the melodies and timeless mood, and “Tough As Diamonds” follows with flowing acoustic guitar as Nichols shows us her range alongside bright storytelling.
“No Cattle Kind Of Cowboy” occupies the middle spot and welcomes some twang to the dusty delivery, while “Gunslinger” is a pretty and emotive album highlight where Nichols sounds much older than her years with a wise delivery.
Near the end, the punchy and rich “Golden Fields Of The Sun” comes with a hint of mystery, and the acoustic version of “Blue Lightning Ambush” exits with a soaring and powerful finish to an excellent first record.
You might be reminded of Taylor Swift, LeAnn Rimes, and Tanya Tucker when spending time with Nichols’ music, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she achieves the success of those household names, too.
Travels well with: Grace Morrison- Maybe Modern; Angela Easterling- Witness