TriggerReviews16 Comments
Are you forlorn about what has happened to country music? Then look no further than Amber Digby.
Amber Digby’s gift is being able to hand select classic country songs from the past that never became full-on classics, but should have. And then with her band Midnight Flyer, Amber makes these songs classics by the power of her pure country voice. It’s part album making, part archeology dig, and then she adds a few newer offerings and self-penned songs to the mix for good measure. Helping her along the way is an A-list cast of contributors that includes duet partners Vince Gill and Randy Lindley, steel guitar player Lloyd Green, and piano playing Hall of Famer Hargus “Pig” Robbins, just to name a few.
It takes a certain amount of courage to make an album like The World You’re Living In–so unapologetically steeped in the traditions of country music, specifically many of the traditions that set Texas country apart from other classic sounds originating further east or west. Making an album that is so blind to trends or trade industry desires, without a care if 98.1 will show courtesy to it in their rotation is a sign of character from Amber and co-producer Justin Trevino. Besides, she’ll get plenty of love from the Texas country radio stations that matter. Amber Digby’s country music pedigree runs deep, instilling in her the inability to compromise. Her mother, father, and many other members of her immediate family were professional musicians, and an album like this only gets made when a sincere passion for the roots of country is ever-present.
The way to pull off making a successful classic country album these days is to make sure to include the right amount of spice. Amber Digby and company do this and show wisdom on The World You’re Living In in both the song selection and the style of approach for each track. They start with a breadth of material that goes from country Outlaw Johnny Paycheck’s “It Won’t Be Long (And I’ll Be Hating You)” all the way to the classic country pop of Lynn Anderson’s “How Can I Unlove You.” Throughout is a cohesion built from an insistence to build out from the fiddle/steel guitar/true country sound. Amber’s not afraid to mix it up though, like on her rendition of the Jack Greene/Connie Smith number “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone)” where the Wah-Wah pedal makes an appearance and revives the late 70’s Jerry Reed funky country feel, keeping the album fresh and delivering one of the work’s funnest tracks.
It’s hard to gloss over the fact that Vince Gill thinks so highly of Amber Digby that he appears on this album in a duet of The Warren Brothers’ “The One I Can’t Live Without.” The two met backstage at The Grand Ole Opry when Amber introduced herself as a fawning fan, and was floored to find out Vince was a big fan of her. They ended up writing “One More Thing I’d Wished I’d Said” together– a track that appears on this album and Gill’s Guitar Slinger.
As with all classic country albums, you must preface it by saying that it’s probably not for everyone. But the world we’re living in would sound a lot better if The World You’re Living In was the industry standard for what country music was supposed to be.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
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Purchase The World You’re Living In from Amber Digby
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Amber Digby, Connie Smith, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Jerry Reed, Johnny Paycheck, Justin Trevino, Lloyd Green, Lynn Anderson, The Grand Ole Opry, The Warren Brothers, The World You're Living In, Vince Gill
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16 Comments
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Dave D.
February 17, 2013 @ 9:43 amGreat review. I couldn’t agree more.
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- ReinstateHank
February 17, 2013 @ 9:50 amThat’s what I love about your website Trigger, it shows me where the country is.
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- goldencountry
February 17, 2013 @ 10:05 amWow great music and review. I’ll have to get a copy. Good solid country music.
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- strait country 81
February 17, 2013 @ 5:06 pmi quite like the second song.
quick question
i’m only finding jackson taylor,hank 3,dale watson and hellbound glory as the only underground country guys i can get into.
any suggestions?
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- Trigger
February 17, 2013 @ 5:41 pmThis list may be a good place to start:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-greatest-underground-country-albums-of-all-time
More specifically I would tell you to check out Wayne “The Train” Hanco*ck, Lucky Tubb, and .357 String Band, specifically their album “Fire & Hail.”
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- Karen
February 17, 2013 @ 7:16 pmWow, finally another female country singer who can sing without all the vocal gymnastics and repetitive lyrics and, well, just good singin! First album of a female singer that I will buy since Rachel Brooks. Thanks Trig.
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- Gena R.
February 17, 2013 @ 9:38 pmThat is indeed a classic country sound. 🙂 I’ll have to look into more of her stuff…
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- GeorgeF
February 17, 2013 @ 9:41 pmGreat review, and dead on accurate! Each of Amber’s albums has been a gem of this type — some great new classic-sounding originals, mixed with some obscure covers that are meant to be classics. Amber is a great example of what country radio *should* be, but heartbreakingly isn’t.
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- kev
February 18, 2013 @ 2:11 amExcellent stuff! Combine this album with Dale Watson’s “El Rancho Azul” and you’ve got the perfect start to a country music year! Blake Shelton?? Who’s he??
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- JonnyBoy23
February 18, 2013 @ 5:30 pmThis is one I’m gonna have to pick up. I love her take on If It Ain’t Love, I was waiting for a Jerry Reed style guitar breakdown the whole time, but it was good. But Jerry Reed is one of my favorite artists of all time so it really clicked with me.
I’m glad you pointed me in her direction Trig, the amount of female artists in my collection is sorely lacking. I mean I have all the classics like Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton etc., but as far as current singers go I’ve got Rachel Brooke and Lindi Ortega and that’s about it.Reply
- Todd Villars
February 18, 2013 @ 10:50 pmAmber Digby is the real deal, saw her last year at Greune Hall in New Braunfels, awesome show and he band is fantastic, really impressed with her Piano player who sings all the duets with her on stage.
For the person looking for other artist that are truly country I would suggest Miss Leslie and Her Juke Jointers, Whitey Morgan, Landon Dodd, Jake Hooker, Justin Trevino and Warren Silvers who is originally from Florida but lives in Nashville now.
Trigger thanks for the website you do a great job even though i don’t always agree with you, I think you should be commended for your work.
Todd Villars
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- Trigger
February 19, 2013 @ 12:26 amThanks for reading Todd!
And what fun would it be if we all agreed all the time?
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- TX Music Jim
February 19, 2013 @ 8:53 amMy favorite female voice these days. Top to bottom great stuff. FYI if anyone has sirrus satellite radio the play Amber frequently on Willies Place.
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- Todd Villars
February 19, 2013 @ 9:32 pmThanks for the reply but I wanted to give you another name that I forgot to add and that is Ed Burleson, I have both of his CD’s and he is one of my favorites but he has disappeared from the music scene. He is great and would love to know what happened to him. If anybody has any info I would really apreciate it. Also, Lucas Hudgins is pretty good but CD is hard to find, he is an Austin based artist, maybe can find him at Waterloo Records. Have a great day! Todd Villars
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- kev
February 20, 2013 @ 2:24 amYup, Ed Burleson’s excellent. He’s still around – I was lucky enough to see him in Ft. Worth in October (first visit to Texas and I luck out on seeing him!). He’s actually had 4 albums out, including a live recording and one that came out a few years back in Europe which I don’t think get a proper US release.
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- Dana M
February 19, 2013 @ 10:55 pmI somehow overlooked this album. It’s going straight to the top of my ‘buy’ list.
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Dave D.
ReinstateHank
strait country 81
Karen
Gena R.
GeorgeF
kev
JonnyBoy23
Todd Villars
TX Music Jim
Dana M