If It All Goes South Explained

If It All Goes South
Type:studio
Artist:Amy Ray
Cover:Amy Ray - If It All Goes South.jpg
Alt:A faded pastoral photo
Genre:Country rock
Language:English
Label:Daemon
Prev Title:Holler
Prev Year:2018

If It All Goes South is a studio album by American folk rock singer-songwriter Amy Ray, released on Daemon Records in 2022 and has received positive reviews from critics.

Recording and release

If It All Goes South is part of a series of albums that Ray has released that explore Americana and country music. This album also includes the explicit references to politics and activism that have marked her career as a musician, and at the point of recording, Ray was looking for healing in the United States and the American South in particular. Ray was also inspired by social justice movements occurring during the recording period.

To record the music, Ray worked with many of the same musicians that she used on her 2014 release Goodnight Tender and 2018's Holler, traveling to many studios across America to collaborate and recording live to tape. Unlike those two releases, she also previewed this album by releasing several tracks as lead singles; this was useful for band cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reception

Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this album four out of five stars, with reviewer Timothy Monger noting that Ray continues to explore a variety of American roots music traditions "without letting them define her" and pointing out several tracks with differing emotions, genres, and collaborators that create a solid musical statement as an album. In No Depression, Andy Crump characterizes this album as one where "every track matters; every note has meaning", and he notes the masterful way that Ray mixes her musicianship and activism. Editors at AllMusic included this on their list of favorite folk and Americana albums of 2023.

Track listing

All songs written by Amy Ray, except where noted

  1. "Joy Train" – 3:54
  2. "Chuck Will’s Widow" – 3:41
  3. "They Won’t Have Me" – 4:45
  4. "From This Room" – 3:23
  5. "Tear It Down" – 3:46
  6. "A Mighty Thing" – 3:16
  7. "Subway" – 4:20
  8. "Cowboys and Pirates" – 3:37
  9. "Muscadine" – 5:14
  10. "North Star" (Phil Cook and Amy Ray) – 3:12

Personnel

Recording locations:

See also

External links

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