The Philadelphia Inquirer- "Where Country Grows" Review
Ashton Shepherd wastes no time showing she has lost none of the bite she displayed on her terrific 2008 debut. Where Country Grows leads off with "Look It Up," a deliciously sharp-tongued kiss-off of a wayward husband. ("The word is over. Look it up.") Shepherd's tangy Alabama drawl packs as much of a kick as the hard-country music and the lyrics.
That Loretta Lynn-style vinegar shows up in varying degrees elsewhere - "I'm Good," "Tryin' to Go to Church," "That Only Leads to One Thing." But it's not all Shepherd has to offer. She's just as strong when showing another side, whether it's a tender or more vulnerable one. "I'm Just a Woman" is one of the eight numbers she wrote or cowrote on this 10-song set that further establishes her as one of Nashville's brightest young talents. There she puts it best: "Sometimes I wanna hold you/ Other times I wanna yell at you/ And sometimes I'm happy . . . and sometimes I wanna cry."
7/19/2011
