Michelle Billingsley wraps charmingly cutting lyrics in boisterous acoustic strumming and along with her dryly dark sense of humor and a (whip)smart-assed vocal delivery, it all sounds a bit like Emmylou Harris went through the looking glass. She'll remind you of the familiar songs you heard playing on the radio in the back of Dad’s old truck cruising down back roads. She’s got a little bit of honky tonkin’ country up her sleeve, and a dusting of folk on her boots. Her shows are undeniably fun—genuine, irreverent, unique and fearless. Billingsley’s new debut album for Western Myth Records, Not the Marrying Kind—produced by multi-instrumentalist Matt Brown—is an Americana gem. Out of the gates, Brown made the sage choice of putting legendary producer/engineer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Josh Ritter, Iron & Wine) behind the boards—and the drum kit—for the sessions.
The resulting record's intimate, moody vibe draws you in close with your guard down, and once you pause long enough to get your head around the songs, the depth of Billingsley’s talent comes sharply into focus. It’s a deceptively heavy record, yet somehow her fantastic whimsy mixes with black comedy and