With her 2008 debut, Sounds So Good, Ashton Shepherd proved to be a little trickier to peg than Miranda Lambert, the fiery singer/songwriter who may be her closest mainstream competition. Shepherds music has deeper roots than Lamberts — theres a sense that it extends all the way back to the classic country of the 50s — and she has a dark, smoky undertow to her voice that gives her an unpredictable soulfulness. These are aspects that give Shepherd considerable character but they make her a bit harder to market, which may be why her 2011 sophomore set, Where Country Grows, makes considerable effort to brighten and broaden her sound, to bring in listeners who may not have been seduced by the late-night vibes of Sounds So Good. To Shepherds considerable credit, her paeans to Where Country Grows, drinking Beer on a Boat, living in a place where there are More Cows Than People, and Tryin to Go to Church dont play as panders; theyre infused with the same heart as the rest of the record and are crafted with the same sense of skill. Shepherd had a hand in writing the bulk of the record — two of the most commercial cuts were penned by outside songsmiths, while Toby Keith alumni Bobby Pinson collaborated on two of Ashtons best poppier tunes, Where Country Grows and More Cows Than People — and she has a knack for tracing the arc of a relationship or looking back without wallowing in nostalgia, as on the grace note of a closer, Rorys Radio. Shepherd is such a powerhouse singer that theres never a relaxed moment on the record, not even when she eases into a ballad or a sunny pop tune like Im Good. Shes the rarest of things in modern country: a singer who cant help but be compelling no matter what she sings. Fortunately enough, shes as good as a writer as she is a singer, which is what makes the slight smoothness and concessions to commerciality on Where Country Grows easy to accept: if thats what it takes for Shepherd to establish herself, so be it — the rewards are more than worthwhile. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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