Artist: AJ Woodworth
Album: Wild Card
Label: 604 Records/ Universal Music Canada
Rating: 4/5
Newcomer AJ Woodworth won the 2009 CCMA New Artist Showcase and proves she really is a wild card with her debut album on 604 Records. The Vancouver native combined her pop influences with her country roots in a record that fans may be surprised to know has been in the works for over three years. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Wild Card proves AJ Woodworth’s chops for choosing, writing, and performing great songs.
The current single, ‘Hide Your Matches’, showcases AJ’s soulful voice, combining power and vulnerability wrapped and woven with colourful harmonies. Brilliantly crafted, the song was written by Music Row powerhouse writer Hillary Lindsey and tells the story of a girl who knows she’s going to fall for someone she knows she shouldn’t. It is hands down one of the standouts on the album.
‘Good Time for a Goodbye’ is stripped down to basics with acoustic flavours combined with steel guitar. It also features the vocals of Kathleen Higgins (of the Higgins) and together they provide the perfect blend of emotion on this ballad of heartbreak.
Perhaps the most revved up emotionally-charged song on the album is ‘Cold’, a co-write with Jason Blaine and Tebey. ‘Getaway Car’ closes the record with the story of a girl who wants to be riding shotgun in her dream boy’s getaway car. This track has definite hit potential.
Front to back, AJ Woodworth proves she is the wild card in country music at the moment and it’s a safe bet to say that she’s not going anywhere. Powerhouse vocals, beauty inside and out, and a growing fan base will make this dark horse a front runner in time. Keep your eyes and ears on this girl.
To purchase Wild Card on iTunes, click here.
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