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20. Brandy Clark – 12 Stories



I hate country radio. My mom still listens, but even she finds more musical solace in the Nashville outsiders trying to make a name for themselves rather than the products of the machine. Usually, good songwriters have to settle for writing for other, less talented musicians. Brandy Clark was in that boat not too long ago, having written hits for Miranda Lambert and The Band Perry (their only good song, “Better Dig Two”). With this album, though, Clark gets to show that she has the chops to make it on her own. She’s got a classic country voice: expressive and delicately phrased. It works perfectly with her songwriting style, which is the classic storytelling kind. “Stripes” is about a woman who decides against murdering her cheating husband because she doesn’t look good in stripes or orange. “Pray to Jesus” is based around the sad-but-true? premise that in small town life, the only way to make a real change for the better is to “pray to Jesus or play the Lotto.” “What’ll Keep Me Out of Heaven” is perhaps the best country song about adultery that I can remember hearing. I wouldn’t hate country radio if there were more artists as honest and spare as Brandy Clark.