Plains albums

2022

I Walked With you A Ways - 90%

An aptly named band that succeeds in what they are trying to do, maybe even more perfectly than the two artists had imagined. When Katie Crutchfield (Waxahachie) and Jess Williamson decided to join forces, did they know they would make a nearly perfect record? There are several factors at play: they match each other in warm tones and harmonies (“Line of Sight”, “Hurricane”), they are actually pretty different songwriters, where Williamson writes slow ballads that leave room to breathe: the story telling adventures present in “Abilene”, the breathtaking pauses in “Summer Sun”, the brutal shuffle of “I Walked With You A Ways”. An entire album of these slower albums might have been a bit much, but she is complimented by….

the fact that Crutchfield writes flawless, Patsy Cline influenced country ditties like “Last Two On Earth”, the lead track and one of the key tracks of the year “Problem With It” that should be some kind of instant classic in how it radiates calm, or the powerful “No Record of Wrongs”. It reminds me of when Neko Case, Laura Marling, and KD Lang joined forces years ago, even though that entry was more folk and this album is pure country music bliss at times. These two women represent the pinnacle of country music in 2022, and I hope they get enough notice.

Best Songs: I Got a Problem With It, Line of Sight, A Record of Wrongs, Last Two On Earth