Rarely does a country artist, or a musician of any genre for that matter, enter the scene with as much fanfare as this artist does. Gretchen may be a new name on the country music scene but she’s lauded for putting the ‘country back in Country music’.

The first single is the swinging rocky tinged anthem about real girls of today Redneck Woman that shows this American singer in her best, vocally and musically. The song rocketed to the No. 1 spot on the country Billboard charts and radio charts, marking it as the fastest rising artist debut single in over a decade. Gretchen has a lot to sing about.

Speaking of everyday issues, the youthful singer takes on rotten relationships in the slow When I think about cheatin to glorious drinking bringes, packed with superbly crafted lead guitar in the title track “Here for the party”. There are some loud vocals in Chariot coupled with good background score and choral ensemble not forgetting the novel feature of rap, which makes the piece one of the standouts. The rock n roll When it rains is funny, naughty and speaks about things one can do well ……when it rains. The track has excellent string arrangement, and good long vocals.

Most tracks have a peppy feel running right through them in every way, and those with a slow side could tune to the passable Homewrecker, Holdin on and the really neat balladic What happens. Lastly, the lingering tune Pocahontas Proud speaks about Gretchen’s career from a small town girl, growing to be a star, a mother and how she’s all out to make her town proud. Most pieces also have a lot of bursts of frenetic instrumental guitar solos, while her lyrics speak of her liberal style and versatility.

One listen to the album and a country music lover will definitely love almost all 10 tracks, brimming with twanging guitars, peddle steel, fiddle, mandolin, piano solos, and everything else that country music has to offer. Wilson is musically and symbolically just the ‘chicken soup’ that you need for feet propping up time. Country singer, Shania Twain surely has competition with Wilson making an album to rewind again. 

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira