For those unaware, Jackie Bristow has taken many musical journeys to reach her fifth album. The New Zealand native has gone to Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles to Austin to Nashville to pursue her artistic vision.

Outsider finds her standing at crossroads — of soul and country; rock ’n’ roll and singer-songwriter folk — and reveals her drive to embrace change, keep moving, and to discover something new and exciting.

While building upon the strengths of her previous albums, Bristow drew inspiration from the music of the American South — particularly the myriad sounds found in her adopted home, Nashville. “Nashville feels like a melting pot in a hub of creativity,” says Bristow. “Being exposed to such great American music has really inspired me.”

Outsider, Bristow’s debut effort for Mesa Bluemoon Recordings, is slated for a March 4th, 2022 release. With its mix of acoustic and electric guitars, pedal steel and banjo — and strings and horns, the album stands as a triumph by a singer-songwriter who American Songwriter has hailed as “crafting some of the most beautiful, compelling Americana today.”

1. Livin’ For Love
2. Shakin’ My Bones
3. Without You
4. Outsider
5. Tennessee You Call Me Home
6. Fool For You
7. California
8. Surrender
9. Never Too Late
10. Rockin’ Chair
11. Wild Cat
12. Easy Road

This delightfully radiant new album opens on the upbeat, summery sheen of Livin’ For Love and the ethereal Americana grandeur of Shakin’ My Bones (featuring acclaimed Norwegian singers Tor Egil Kreken and Mari Kraken, well-known to Americana fans around the world from the band Darling West), and then brings forth the delightfully airy, orchestrally-imbed, melodic, Jimmy Webb-esque ballad Without You, the forthright, guitar-leaning twang of the title track Outsider, and next up is the Hammond organ-embedded beauty, and complete with harmonized vocals from both Kristen Rogers (Lori McKenna, Brent Cobb) and album producer Rick Price, Tennessee You Call Me Home.

Those two join forces once again with Bristow on the magnificently harmonized vocals from them all on the dulcet piano and guitar piece, Fool For You which is in turn followed by the rich, sumptuous flow of California and the gently ambient ballad Surrender and then comes the upbeat, 80’s light hipsway of Never Too Late, the mandolin-driven Rockin’ Chair, the album rounding out on the delicately rhythmic Wild Cat, coming to a close, and once more with both Tor Egil Kreken and Mari Kraken, the spirited, rolling Troubadour track, Easy Road.

Bristow recorded it mostly with her longtime musical partner Mark Punch (Kasey Chambers, Tim Finn) at his Nashville studio before Covid shut down the world.

Punch, a Country Music Association of Australia “Musician of the Year” winner, produced 11 of the album’s 12 tracks, adding his own subtle, allusive guitar lines. As always, he’s a remarkably empathetic accompanist for Bristow, as their amazing live shows as a duo make clear.

In closing, Outsider might be an accurate way to describe the now Nashville-based Bristow, who exhibits the musical curiosity and love for learning that drives all true artists.

Bristow, however, also is very much an insider when it comes to expressing her brand of Country Soul Americana and her beautiful new album wonderfully underscores her musical depth and commitment to conveying her deeply felt songs.

Official Website

Livin’ For Love (Official Music Video)

Without You (Official Music Video)

Official Purchase link

Jackie Bristow @ Facebook

Jackie Bristow @ Instagram

Jackie Bristow @ Twitter

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