After indulging her literary eccentric side on
Lindeville
, a cameo-filled collection of short stories about a fictional small town,
Ashley McBryde
straightens out on its swiftly delivered sequel,
The Devil I Know
. Working with some of the same characters as before -- she once again has
Jay Joyce
aboard as a producer, and
Connie Harrington
,
Benjy Davis
John Osborne
, and
Aaron Raitiere
all have songwriting credits --
McBryde
steers
toward different emotional territory, favoring bright surfaces and direct feelings, each colored -- but not dominated -- by her flair for lyrical details. Compared to the picturesque byways of
feels streamlined, even simple, particularly since it doesn't quite have the swagger of
Girl Going Nowhere
. Instead, the record has a clean, precise punch that accentuates how
is streamlining her songwriting. It's not so much that she's aiming for radio play as it is that
is crammed with songs that would sound terrific on mainstream radio if she were put in rotation. The melodies and the rhythms are big and hooky, and there's an appealing variety of sounds and approaches: "Made for This" surges on its own momentum, "Coldest Beer in the Town" has a sunny '90s retro shine, "Whiskey and Country Music" lopes to an arena-country twang, and "Blackout Betty" is powered by a blues riff so heavy, it feels excavated from an old '70s LP. If the shagginess of
is missed,
is comfortable with each minute shift in tone, turning
into a roaring good time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine