Dainty Wilder Country [best] -
The album stumbles slightly on “Porcelain Teeth,” where the metaphor gets too tangled for its own good. The production here leans too hard into the “dainty” side, resulting in a track that feels more like a lullaby for a dollhouse than a country song. Also, at 14 tracks, the last three songs blur together—editing could have made this a perfect 10-song masterpiece.
If this is the future of country music—where vulnerability has calluses and femininity has a switchblade—then pour a glass of sweet tea, load the shotgun, and turn up the volume. dainty wilder country
The band swings between gut-punch sincerity and playful swing. “Rust on the Rabbit Hutch” is a bluegrass-tinged murder ballad, while “Lipstick on a Shotgun Shell” struts like a barn dance scored by Mazzy Star. The album stumbles slightly on “Porcelain Teeth,” where
Producer Sam Hawke (known for his work with folk revivalists) has wrapped Wilder’s voice in a fascinating cocoon. Opener “Pink Paint on a Barn Door” begins with a single, trembling acoustic guitar before introducing a subtle, warped synth pad that feels like a memory of a 1970s AM radio. It’s not EDM-country; it’s dream-country . If this is the future of country music—where
Long drives at dusk, crying in a pickup truck, or embroidering a floral pattern onto a leather jacket.