Album Spotlight: Carly Pearce, ‘Every Little Thing’

Carly Pearce introduces herself as a pure vocalist on Every Little Thing, her debut album on Big Machine Nashville.

She follows the title track's groundbreaking debut on country radio with a full-length album that's equally as thought-provoking and honest. Her heart is wide open. Previously fans had only heard the haunting ballad, and while the emotional, slow songs are where she shines, the album as a whole proves she can do so much more, peeling back the layers of who she truly is.

The newcomer's range, vocal quality and influences stand above 13 high-caliber, dynamic country cuts. Pearce's storytelling is at its best during the aching "If My Name Is Was Whiskey" and nostalgic "I Need a Ride Home." Both songs find her yearning for the touch of an old memory and, like the single "Every Little Thing," both drip with pathos. She showcases numerous facets of her personality across the project, like on the edgy "Everybody Gonna Talk," which finds a grit not previously seen. The statement-making "Careless" is the flip side of this coin, backed by a sweet, dreamy melody as Pearce confidently sings of the man who was reckless with her heart.

Often more important than quality is variety when it comes to songs on an album, and while Pearce sings almost exclusively about love and love lost, she finds subtle new angles during "Doin' It Right" and "Hide the Wine." "Better hide the wine / And get it gone / I better hide every one of those records that turn me on," she sings during a fresh, Miranda Lambert-inspired, album leading performance.

"Turn up the lights / And kill the mood / Because baby I just don't trust myself with you / I'd better hide the wine." The singer says the song will be her next single.

"I Need a Ride Home" will make you stop in your tracks. While every song on the album is personal, this takes you inside Pearce's memories of her hometown. "I need a quick trip back to that table in the kitchen / I wanna see that little creek rushin’ / Right next to those fields full of nothin’" she sings, painting a distinct image in the listener's mind of her place of comfort and reminding you of your own personal sanctuary.

"Every Little Thing" is an unexpected hit because it's so far left of the center of country radio. Her bluegrass inspirations mix with an orchestral production in a way not replicated elsewhere on this album. In fact one will find pop-leanings and a few songs like "Catch Fire" that simply serve as bridges to the next great emotion.

Did You Know?: Pearce tells Taste of Country that Little Big Town had "Hide the Wine" on hold, but decided not to put it on their latest album.

Key Tracks: "Hide the Wine," "Every Little Thing," "If My Name Was Whiskey," "I Need a Ride Home"

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