When Angaleena Presley (no relation) sings about the American middle class the subject is not condo-living yuppies but “work-too-much” folks like her coal-miner father, schoolteacher mother, and her former Walmart drone self, before she found fame with Nashville’s Pistol Annies. This solo debut has some of that trio’s platinum-selling sass, but its mood is more downbeat, full of well-etched social cameos: drunk husbands, pregnant teens, congregations hooked on prescription drugs, “a car full of pillbillies looking to score”. The backings are polished modern country, but Presley’s vocal and lyrical touch are exceptional on an impressive state-of-the-nation album.
