BRIT TAYLOR

                                                               "Ain't A Hard Livin'" 

                                                                Cut A Shine Records/Thirty Tigers

With her highly anticipated, Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson produced, sophomore album Kentucky Blue due out in just under a month (February 3, 2023), Brit Taylor offers us our 4^th glimpse of what we can expect from it with the release of “Ain’t A Hard Livin’.” 

“Cabin in the Woods” gave us a sultrier, down-home Americana feel, “Kentucky Blue” dripped with traditional country flare, and “Rich Little Girls” brought a sass-filled realness to its overtone to deliver a catchy earworm that kept you humming for days.

In many ways then, the groove laden traditional bent of “Ain’t A Hard Livin’” fully completes the circle of sonic sound that Taylor’s been teasing us with ahead of forthcoming album.

The song, co-written by Brit and Pat McLaughlin, carries a relatable premise for anyone who is experiencing the right love with the right person; the one who knows all the right things to do at the end of a blue-collar workday to make you forget about its struggles and shift your focus to the current moment alongside them and their so good for you love.

Singing of having a tough day on the job but how coming home to her better half is easy, she praises him as being one of kind that knows exactly what to do to lift her back up when she’s feeling low, before she  gratefully admits that no matter what toughness the workday carried with it, when she comes home “it ain’t a hard livin’ when I’m lovin’ on you.” 

The striking of the keys after the first chorus intriguingly adds a honky-tonk branded element to the otherwise straight-ahead traditional country sound, but she cleverly never loses the signature Americana feel that she’s been displaying as this toe tapper leans on an ultra-catchy rhythm and heavy use of fiddle to drive its melody.

But what elevates the lyric to an even deeper level arrives in the second verse when Taylor sings, “I thank God for the rain and the sky so blue,” a line which is perhaps a bigger, thought-provoking metaphor that is more so about thanking Him for the tough moments that make the good times that much sweeter.

Brit Taylor has masterfully used these past four song releases to elevate her status while continuously surprising with twists and turns within’ her signature feels to keep the listener invested. In turn, she’s perfectly lined herself up to have one the hottest album releases during the first quarter of 2023!

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)