Jordyn Shellhart 'Primrose' Album Review

Jordyn Shellhart's first major label single "Who Are You Mad At" begins with lines, "You come through the door like a hurricane / Rattling walls and window panes / Blow off the roof and let it rain on me / Then you get silent right after the storm." Right from her jump into country music's current landscape, it's clear Shellhart's lyrical prowess shimmers.

Shellhart got her start at a very young age, she got her first publishing deal at 14 and has written for artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Cody Johnson, Mickey Guyton, and Don Williams. Her debut album Primrose showcases Shellhart blossoming as a solo artist with a wispy and honeyed aura.

Primrose opens with the dainty track "Amelia" where Shellhart sings her praises and admiration for a woman named Amelia. The lines are sweet and pretty as Shellhart exclaims, "Amelia I know you hate the name Amy / But it’s sweet and short and fits you like a crown / Amy say you would follow me anywhere / Follow me anywhere, even down." The production goes hand in hand with the storytelling: it's airy with lightweight vocals that paint the narrative perfectly.

"Steal A Man" opens with haunting layered vocals paired with the plucking of an acoustic guitar. The track, written by Shellhart alongside Barry Dean and Cameron Jaymes, features sophisticated verses and straight-to-the-point choruses; Shellhart balances the tune with clever wordiness and visual metaphors. In the second verse, she sings, "But he can walk away of his own volition / Then stand there on my porch like a stray / And she can’t be a thief even if she’s not a victim / You knew what you had to lose, you did it anyway." When she jumps into the chorus she simply croons, "A man is not an emerald ring / A man is not your father's beer cans."

Numerous tracks on the album hang tightly to a twangy, spacious soundscape while containing darker, heavy themes. "When Something's Gotta Give" has desperate vocals as Shellhart details the feeling of holding the heavyweight in an unbalanced relationship. "Maybe Someday You'll Have A Daughter" is about the loss of innocence and a boy who didn't care about his actions: "If you ever have a daughter / You’ll think back to this / Hope that’s not it / Maybe then it’ll hit you harder."

Every track on the 12-song record feels like a small yet immersive chapter of Shellhart's life. The lines she writes read like a movie script that audiences can find themselves diving into.

Standout track "On A Piano Bench Getting Wasted" begins with a striking downtrodden vocal performance and hollow wallops of piano chords. The track is one big outpour of illuminating thoughts while being drunk and alone. Here, Shellhart's lyricism shines once again with picturesque details that read like a watery, lucid dream. She sings, "I’ve never been the girl dreaming / Of first sight butterflies or I do’s in chapels / Maybe it’s just a full moon or because / I watched Sleepless in Seattle / But tonight I guess I feel different / Like a piece of me is missing."

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