Ashley Monroe’s well-crafted “Like A Rose”

— The sophomore effort from Ashley Monroe, Like a Rose, is a remarkably consistent and well-crafted album. She is a gifted country vocalist and a skilled songwriter. At 26 she is just embarking on what hopefully will be a long career.

Monroe’s background includes work with Miranda Lambert as one of the three Pistol Annies, whose album, Hell on Wheels, was a best-seller in 2011. Like a Rose stands in stark contrast to today’s mainstream country music. The songs are original, without the formulas, hooks or the overbearing posturing common to most contemporary country. Country audiences responded positively to Hell on Wheels. However, Monroe’s 2006 debut album, Satisfied, didn’t light the commercial spark due her.

Like a Rose will resonate well with Americana listening audiences. Her writing is in the mode of traditional country on songs like “I’m a Dollar Short and Two Weeks Late.”  On “Used” she describes the value of older things found in life. The title track was co-written by Guy Clark based on a conversation they had.  She told him she has ‘come out like a rose,’ in spite of life’s hardships (she lost her father to cancer when she was 13). “Like a Rose,”was written there on the spot. It carries Guy Clark’s trademark lyrical craft with the insight and easy country flow found in Monroe’s songs.

Produced by Vince Gill, Like a Rose has the potential to cross over from the country charts to Americana as well. It certainly deserves to. For Ashley Monroe, this album is a career defining moment. We’ll look forward to hearing more from her in the years to come.