Review: Lainey Wilson ‘Sayin What I’m Thinkin’

Lainey Wilson
Sayin What I’m Thinkin
Broken Bow Records

Lainey Wilson returns with that fiery spirit she’s demonstrated before on songs such as Middle Finger and Waste of Good Whiskey. This time she teams up with producer Jay Joyce for an often unique and quirky arrangement of these 12 songs. Joyce injects just a little more personality into what was already a unique ‘Bell Bottom Country’ record. The previously released single Things A Man Oughta Know which Wilson co-wrote with Jonathan Singleton and Jason Nix, showcases her country roots and lyricism.
A traditional arrangement accompanies this cleverly written, mid-tempo song whilst on the anthemic Small Town, Girl, Wilson shows off the strength of her vocals as she fires off a warning shot to anyone who thinks they know small town girls. The dynamics of the record are on point and Joyce knows how to bring the best out of the artists he works with. In the title track, he gives Wilson’s vocals space whilst still driving the song forward and complementing the emotion she is conveying with the sparse production.
That brings us back to the conversation of Wilson’s vocal abilities, we all know her vocal tones are beautiful and pure; she has a lot of control but the vulnerability she manages to channel in Rolling Stone and Sayin What I’m Thinkin gives the lyrical content more weight. Talking of lyrics, Wilson has a way with words. The list song Keeping Bars in Business is a stand out track; “Someone’s celebrating, while someone’s heart is breaking’. Co-written with Jordan Schmidt and Matt Rogers, the simple yet effective melodies wistfully take the listener back to a bar with their best friend. I found myself humming along to this track.
Wilson stays true to herself as she delivers 12 top quality songs that showcase both her delicate side and her boldness as an artist. Though comparisons could be drawn from song to song, ultimately Wilson sets herself apart from those around her with her ability to bottle up all sides of her personality and present it in a feisty album. Wilson is no longer an up and coming star or the future of country music, she’s arrived with this record, her time to shine is now!

The album is available initially now but will be released in physical format on April 16th in the UK.

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Media contact

Zoe Hodges,
Editor, Maverick Magazine

Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823920
Email: [email protected]