Audrey Auld - Tonk

As contemporary country albums go, Audrey Auld’s ‘Tonk’ has it all; freight trains, drinking problems, broken hearts and Christianity. To some, it might sound clichéd, and in any other hands, Auld’s material would be just that, but her delivery raises it above pastiche and raises a smile despite the sad tales contained in many of her lyrics. The album opens with’ Bound for Glory’ (note, this is not the Phil Ochs, or even Angry Anderson (!) song of the same name), a superb toe-tapper with excellent a cappella tags at the beginning and the end. It sets the scene for an album that is unapologetically country, but there is a verity to Auld’s music which is missing from the countless country imitators so prevalent at the moment. It’s an engaging track, with some superb playing in the break. I absolutely adore third track, ‘Drinking Problem’. It’s hilarious and tragic all at the same time, and the line about her drunken partner “climbing the stairs with his face” had me laughing out loud. It’s a fantastic song, and one which will be much covered in years to come. The only fly in the ointment, for me, was the third last track, ‘Rack Off’: its mood and generally vulgar tone just don’t fit with the remainder of the album. With the one exception of ‘Rack Off’, Tonk is a whole heap of country fun. It’s funny, sad, and, above all, true to life. Auld’s vocals are superb and her songwriting is incredible. The band she has assembled are simply astonishing, playing accomplished solos and doing the regular backing work with equal skill. Auld is clearly well-versed in country, and clearly has a strong affinity with the genre – without such, this album would come across as a tacky pastiche. Instead, it soars on steel guitars and mandolin to the very apex of entertaining and engaging Americana.

Track Listing:-

1 Bound for Glory
2 Broken Hearted Woman
3 Drinking Problem
4 Kiss Me
5 Crying the Blues
6 Nashville #1
7 Nashville #2
8 Siren Song
9 Your Wife
10 Lonely Town
11 Sweet Alcohol
12 Rack Off
13 Yes Best Left
14 Bury Me at Walmart

Band Links:-

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