This a track awash in Gospel harmonies and driven forward by a military drumbeat but the juxtaposition of the upbeat production and soaring vocals mixed with the raw and scathing nature of the lyrics takes a moment to get used to.
Special mention must go to ‘Dead to Me’, co-written with Joy Williams and Cam. There’s a nice banjo run and fiddle in the former that drives it forward whilst whilst the latter builds to a big, Mickey Guyton-esque crescendo as Grae sings about the triggers and images that provoke her to think about a past relationship, without actually wanting to have it back again. The songs already released from this project, ‘Dying on the Vine’ and “I Think About You’ both deal with longing. ‘We’ll hide behind our sin,’ Grae sings at one point, ‘The town will start to talk and we’ll try to be more careful.’ Soaring vocals and huge production make this track a real statement song from the off. A piano-driven, impactful tale about Harper’s attraction to another woman at a church group and the dichotomy of trying to resolve your sexuality with Christianity, ‘Devil Worship’ would not be out of place on Carrie Underwood’s ‘Storyteller’ album. Opener, ‘Devil Worship, sets the tone fantastically, throwing you head first into Harper’s world and life experiences. That juxtaposition of strong melody, huge production and soaring vocals alongside the raw, honest and vulnerable nature of the lyrics is something of a surprise at first but after a couple of listens, as you really begin to dig into the stories and characters on the EP, the songs on offer here really burrow their way into your psyche and refuse to let go. There is a power-Pop-Country sensibility that carries echoes of Underwood’s most dramatic and emotional songs running through Grae’s new EP. “If Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and Brandi Carlile had a child – that’s me,” says Grae, describing her sound and process but one listen to ‘Confessions….’ and I think you can throw Carrie Underwood into that mix now. Marriage and motherhood have only served to strengthen her convictions about sexuality, faith and tolerance and those stories and beliefs are writ large across new EP ‘Confessions of a Good Southern Lady’. Raised by her grandparents in rural Alabama, Grae had to deal with the harsh realities of parental failure throughout her early life and has channeled these experiences into her work on ‘The Glee Project’ and on into projects like her debut album, ‘Break These Crowns’ in 2017.
A vocalist and songwriter with strong beliefs and little fear of adversity, Harper Grae is an artist who has channeled the memories of a difficult childhood into songs that have made her a celebrated talent in country music.
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