Country Music France had the opportunity to listen to Ragland’s new album, “More Like A Melody“, that will be released in some hours, on Valentine’s day.
Ragland is a husband and wife duo, formed in Oklahoma, in may of 2015. Its two members, Autumn Ragland and SamCox, currently live in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Their first album, “Just so you know“, is no longer available online, but you can listen to their two excellent EP’s, “Wimberley” (released in 2017 and “Murphy’s law” (released in 2018), both produced by Dave Percefull and Adam Odor at Yellow Dog Studios.
Their new album, “More Like A Melody“, produced under the mentoring of Mike McClure at Boohatch Studios in Ada, Oklahoma, has been almost two years on the making. When you’ll listen to it, you’ll know that it was worth the wait.
Its 20 songs are divided in four parts, each part representing a season. So you have four songs for each season, and other four instrumental songs. It’s a very interesting concept.
All songs were written by Autumn Ragland and Sam Cox, and are sung by Autumn Ragland, the lead singer. Lauren Lee (fiddle) and Javan Long (drums) are accompanying them.
The excellent lead single, “Trailer Like You“, was previously released on January 31st. This funny song, part of the “Spring songs“, is about Autumn Ragland’s Dad, whose trailer is a very big part of his life, as you will understand listening to it.
Another outstanding song is “You are Everything“, that is part of the “Summer songs“. I love its excellent songwriting, about those little moments in your life that make you happy.
“Cause you are early morning
Sugar and cream in my coffee
You are every star that lights up the night
Like a high beam
You are everything”
I’m particularly in love with “West Of Idalou“, that is part of the “Fall songs“. It’s about a shooting that occurred in the area of Lubbock, Texas, while Ragland had a show there. The song idea came to Autumn Ragland and Sam Cox the morning after the shooting, as they were pumping gas in Idalou, a town located at the Northeast of Lubbock. The use of the harmonica, the songwriting and the beautiful voice of Autumn Ragland are really impressive. I had this song on repeat those days.
“Coldwave” is another of my favorite songs on this album. The fiddle is absolutely awesome and the songwriting excellent. If you are like me and don’t like cold weather, this song is a perfect reminder of how awful can be a cold wave.
“Throwing My Life Away” is an excellent song about the difficulty of being a woman in the music industry. Autumn Ragland wrote it after a conversation with a buyer in San Antonio, who didn’t want to book a band leaded by a female. As a man convinced that talented music female artists are not enought present on the country and red dirt scene, I’m particularly in love with his song.
“On Fire” and “Zooted” are two beautifully-written songs. I particularly appreciate the lyrics and the energy of “Zooted“, that could easily be another excellent single for the band.
“Cain” and “If You Ever Came Home” are both about a tragic event, Autumn Ragland’s miscarriage. It’s listening to “Cain” that you understand the title of the album:
“Sounds more like melody than it sounds like words
And if I could write a symphony, you’d be my only one”.
The piano on “If You Ever Came Home” is just beautiful and the song is really heartbreaking. You feel the same listening to “Cain” (the name that would have had the baby), with its acoustic guitar and very emotional lyrics.
Before the imminent release o the album, you can watch a “Behind the Scenes” video, with Autumn Ragland, Sam Cox, Mike McClure and Lauren Lee talking about the recording of “More Like A Melody“. I let you a link below.
If you love Red Dirt music, this album is definitely for you. I’m sure you wil appreciate it a much as I do. Ragland is a name that all red dirt and real country music lovers must know.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 