2015 was a strange year for women and country music: on one hand, artists like Ashley Monroe and Kacey Musgraves making some of the best music the genre has seen this century; on the other, widespread institutional misogyny ensuring that country radio was a nonstop dude-fest. That disturbing disconnect raises all sorts of questions for up-and-comers like Morgan Myles. She's got the voice and hooks to connect with a wide audience. She makes soulful country with warm echoes of rock and R&B, sprinkled with moments that recall why Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Sheryl Crow transcended their respective genres. Songs like lead single "Whiskey Dreaming" and lovelorn ballad "What You Do to Me" are intimate, honest, and infectious, with arrangements that make Myles's gorgeous voice the center of attention. Missing are the gratuitous tailgate references, beer-chugging metaphors, and generally loutish behavior that pass for lyricism on country radio. So while Myles's artistic success is unquestionable, her potential for commercial success remains something of a mystery.
ESSENTIAL "Queen of Hearts"
Sean L. Maloney can be reached at s.l.maloney@gmail.com.