By Holly Gleason
Tumbling out of the speakers like a gust of fresh air, Carly Pearce creates a safe space for the same kind of ’90s country that defined her. Banjo claw-picked as the electric guitar twangs a sturdy melodic bottom, the tone is set for her dusky alto to sweep into the kind of lyric that gave women a strength tempered by a sense of humor.
Not bluegrass, nor Bakersfield, this is the’80s/’90s intersection that boys like Jon Pardi, The Brothers Osbrne and Luke Combs have mined for the last 18-24 months. But when you turn up the femme factor, add in the sass of Patty Loveless, the irony of Pam Tillis, the spunk of Reba and the sparkle of “9 To 5” Dolly Parton and a dollop of The Chicks’ brashness, “New Girl” offers a whole other take on one of modern country’s golden ages.
