Though Ashleigh Graham has always kept a hand in music, she’s more recently returned to her bluegrass roots. After gracing stages at numerous southeastern US festivals, and recording her first album as a teenager, I’ll Just Drive on Pinecastle Records brings us an emboldened introduction to her originality within a contemporary bluegrass context.
The recording leads off with A Dozen Reasons. Written by Scott Patrick and Jeff McClellan, this song presents a positive message of trying new things even when plagued by doubt. Along with Graham on mandolin and lead vocals and Patrick on guitar, the backing band on this project consists of heavy hitters, among them John Meador on harmony vocals, Eli Johnston on banjo and harmony vocals, Stephen Burwell on fiddle, and Kameron Keller on bass.
The title track, I’ll Just Drive, was also written by Scott Patrick. With its typical storyline of traveling down a road and being unsure of where exactly you’re going, this song has a punchy melody that makes for a compelling listen.
Who We Were Back Then, by Rick Lang, Nancy Posey, and Jack White, features the great Russell Moore on harmony vocals. With its lyrics capturing feelings of romance and nostalgia, Moore’s voice compliments Graham’s lead beautifully. This is also the first of two tracks where Matt Leadbetter is featured on dobro.
Head Over High Heels, by Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Charlotte Lee Smith, is one of the album’s true highlights. With lyrics describing the thrill and excitement of new love, the melody fits the emotional level of this song beautifully.
Soldiers of Heaven is one of seven songs on this project that Graham was involved in writing, here with Mark Brinkman. This gospel song carries a refreshing message of God always at our side through every high and low in life.
Bless Your Little Heart, also by Graham, is an amusing song about the phrases people from the south use to subtly disguise how they’re thinking or feeling. With a driving melody and impressive instrumental solos, it makes for even greater variety.
I’ll Just Drive is a breath of fresh air. With compelling, relatable lyrics along with captivating melodies, Ashleigh Graham has all the goods to make her mark of true artistry in bluegrass music.
