A couple of years ago, I sat down and made a couple of playlists. One was for country music that reminded me of my childhood and family trips. The second one was for the country music I’ve discovered through my life, old and new, from the underrated to the overproduced.

While yesterday’s post referred to Gretchen Wilson’s lamentation of an outlawless scene, today I thought to flip the coin. Ashley McBryde could very well be one of those outlaws and renegades Wilson was pining for. Brash, powerful vocals and rockier side of country, McBryde’s music came to my life by mere happenstance: a youtube recommendation.

We all complain about the algorithm, but sometimes it gets it right.

Bonfire at Tina’s had that introspection I was looking for the playlist, and as I worked my way back through McBryde’s catalogue, I found more and more tracks I loved.

This year, Ashley McBryde released Wild, and it’s a hoot and a holler. Rockier but vulnerable, as any good artist aims to be. Rattlesnake Preacher is a killer album opener and I’m enjoying this album so much I’ve planned a review further down the line.

-Sam J. Valdés López