Album review – Krislyn Arthurs’ “Honky Tonk PhD”

April 24th is a very busy release day for country music, but if you love red dirt music, you should consider putting very high on your list of records to listen to “Honky Tonk PhD“, the debut album of Krislyn Arthurs, produced by LG Hamilton and Steven Jeffrey.

Krislyn Arthurs is a young and talented singer and songwriter who grew up in a small town of Oklahoma, and her songs are all authentic and relatable for all those who live in a little town. Her music is catchy, with a prominent and wonderful red dirt style.

Among all the songs of this album, “Clean Hands, Dirty Money” and “Pretty Good at Bad Decisions” are particularly outstanding. The first one, cowritten with Shelby Raye Shealey, is a dark song about corruption in a small town, with rock vibes and wonderful guitars. The second one, written by Steven Jeffrey, also with rock vibes and excellent storytelling, is particularly brilliant. Both are amazing red dirt songs with great instrumentation.

“Trauma” is probably my favorite song on this album. Wonderfully written and sung, with excellent instrumentation, particularly pedal steel, this beautiful and catchy song, is an evidence of the Krislyn Arthurs’ talent as a singer and a songwriter.

The title track is a relatable and authentic country song about barroom life, with blue-collar themes and great pedal steel. An authentic gem !

“Psycho” and “Double Wide“, that were released as singles before the album, are catchy songs, perfectly written and with strong red dirt vibes and instrumentation. You also find this amazing red dirt sound with the excellent “Daddy Tried” and with “Shinin“.

For those who live nearby, there’s no doubt that the Mercury Lounge, in Tulsa, will be the place to be this Saturday night, for the album release party.

All those who love red dirt music should keep an eye on Krislyn Arthurs. “Honky Tonk PhD” is a brilliant record, with masterful storytelling. Red dirt music has a new talent on board, and I’m sure that Krisly Arthurs will shine on this scene for a long time.

Nicolas Davelu