Nashville-by-way-of-Texas newcomer, Laci Kaye Booth has stormed onto the country scene with her self-titled debut collection out today via BMLG Records. The 8-track collection introduces Booth as an artist. Stream the project here.
While fans may have come to know and love Laci Kaye Booth on the American Idol stage, the Nashville-by-way-of-Texas newcomer is reintroducing herself with her self-titled debut collection. On the 8-track collection Booth blends her raspy yet velvet alto with the echoes of her Country influences from Merle Haggard to The Chicks and Shania Twain.
Produced by Dan Huff, the collection takes the listener on a journey through Booth’s artistry and sonic vision, a world built on solid foundations having elicited the help of a powerhouse team of songwriters for the project, including Nathan Chapman, James Slater, Charles Kelley, Sam Ellis, Laura Veltz, Jimmy Robbins, Liz Rose, and more. The treasured Nashville songwriters welcomed Booth completely with open arms and this spirit of collaboration shines through on this perfectly-crafted project. Co-writing every track on this collection, each track is every bit as unmistakable, unforgettable and uninhibited as her pure tone and whisper-tinged vocals – a polished project from start to finish.
The collection charts the range of emotions in a relationships – from long-term love to the beginning sparks. The collection opens with the measured opening lines of ‘Used To You’ that unpicks the less glamorous side of long-term love. ‘Is I’m used to you, I’m so used to you / Sleeping beside me, your cologne on the sheets / I’m used to you, don’t know what I’d do / You’re the road that I know, your name sounds like home / Automatic, I’m a creature of habit / And how could I ever undo the way that I’m used to you?‘ It’s a mature and tender look at long-term love, showcasing the fragility and gorgeous rasp of Booth’s vocal from the off.
‘On the Fence’ brings in a spicier, more sultry side to Booth’s sound as she asserts her stance with a lover. ‘I change my mind like I change my clothes / On the rocks, hot or cold / Which way I fall, hell, even I don’t know / I’m back and forth, you know how I do / But I ain’t never been on the fence about you.’ The track allows Booth to begin to stretch her legs with her range, a tone carried through on later, grooving track ‘Shuffle.’ Continuing this tone, Booth dives straight into the sassy track, ‘Treasure’ that is a delight. ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure / Just like that, I went and found somebody better / Poor, poor you, a diamond slipped up through your hands / One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ It’s an innovative and deliciously produced track, riddled with a nostalgic country and almost salsa-tinged flair that tells her ex she has moved on.
Adding further facets to her sound, Booth follows this last up with ‘Broken Heart Still Beats,’ for which he is joined by label mate Charles Kelley. It’s a plaintively melancholic ballad that feels hopeful aided by a driving production, putting her vocal front and centre. More powerful still is the heart-plucking ballad ‘If He Would’ve Stayed’ that sees Booth ponder the impact that her father leaving has had on her life. ‘If he would’ve stayed / Would I have all these questions? / Like God, how could he leave? / And just who would I be?’ It’s a powerfully emotional track that is refreshingly new in its content and it’s perfectly poised in its delivery.
The final two tracks on the project should not be underestimated as they round out Booth’s sound. ‘Visions’ creates a wistful tone as she looks to what a relationship could have been. ‘I see visions of all we could be / Don’t understand what you did to me / Something must’ve changed / Baby, ’cause it just feels different.’ Finally, Booth takes a nostalgic look at the end of a relationship on the classic country-tinged track ‘Heart of Texas’ that is delicately and beautifully delivered. ‘I put the rain in his Amarillo bluе sky eyes / Put a hurricane in Galveston / Cut off all the lights, I rolled out of his town / Just like a tumbleweed / I was wild and I was reckless / And broke the heart of Texas.’ It’s possibly the best track on the collection in its emotional and tender delivery.
On this her debut self-titled collection, Laci Kaye Booth introduces herself as a hugely versatile and polished artist, capable of immense range from rock-edged sassy tracks to emotionally raw ballads. The project positions Booth as an artist with a hugely bright future ahead of her.
Track List:
- “Used To You” | Laci Kaye Booth, Sam Ellis, Sara Haze
- “On The Fence” | Booth, Todd Clark, Sara Haze, Jason Cole Saenz
- “Treasure” | Booth, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz
- “Broken Heart Still Beats” (featuring Charles Kelley) | Booth, Charles Kelley, Paul DiGiovanni, Adam Hambrick
- “Shuffle” | Booth, Ellis, Derrick Southerland
- “If He Would’ve Stayed” | Booth, Carlo Colasacco, James Slater
- “Visions” | Booth, Jamie Kenney
- “Heart Of Texas” | Booth, Nathan Chapman, Emily Fox Landis
