Let’s get something out of the way quickly. Aubrie Sellers knows she’s the daughter of country music royalty in Lee Ann Womack. Most people that listen to her sophomore album Far From Home will hear Womack’s influence instantly. What Sellers does here though is try so hard to not be her mother, that often the music suffers as a result.
Sellers has coined herself as having a “garage country” sound, with a Texas vibe. It is so true at times, it’s almost as if someone doused the music with buckets of Texas paint instead of lightly coating it with Texas influences. The steely, gritty guitars on songs like “My Love Will Not Change,” the album’s only cover and only duet (with Steve Earle), overpower the song to the point of trying hard to listen to the lyrical content.
The first half of the album lacks lyrical depth. “Worried Mind” talks about the stress of life but is never specific enough to care about what she’s singing. It’s almost as if the lyrics weren’t there and the audience just heard the blues riffs, we’d all be better off. A song called “Going Places” literally goes nowhere. It leaves the audience wondering why they wasted their time with the song.
The album takes a turn for the better on “Glad,” to the point of wishing she had released it as two separate EPs instead of one full length album. Next comes the standout song and only one I would consider giving a repeat listen, “Haven’t Even Kissed Me Yet.” This is the kind of song, in the vein of “Rainbow” or “Girl Crush,” that deserves to be a smash hit.
The album finishes off with two songs that, while quality album songs, would never be radio hits. “Under the Sun” is a song that could’ve been recorded by a female version of Kenny Chesney. The final song, “One Town’s Trash,” is the only one that got me to groove to the music. It’s a perfect example of a fun, mindless song that one doesn’t need to take too seriously.
While Sellers has noted that she knows exactly who she is as a musician, this album is proof that she still has a long way to go. Good vocals and good genes do not automatically make someone an artist. For her next album, Sellers should try to find more cohesion in her song selection. There’s a way of having versatility without feeling like you’re making multiple different albums.
To form your own opinion of Far From Home, Click here and listen to it here.
