JENNY TOLMAN - Rodeo Must Be a Woman - Old Sol Records

When Jenny Tolman recently showcased at the popular Nashville hotspot, The Local, she took everyone on a ride straight out to Jennyville with a double dose of honky-tonk flare and character-driven lyrics.

However, she also brought the otherwise rowdy atmosphere to a complete hush, momentarily transforming the venue into a pure listening room as everyone pulled in for a closer listen when she softened the pace into her brand-new single, “Rodeo Must Be a Woman.”

The song, co-written By Tolman, Dave Brainard, and Craig Monday, leans against a country western flare to encompasses the slow waltz of the cowboy style as she poetically travels her thoughts through heart tugging comparisons between the grip that the rodeo lifestyle has on the cowboy to that of another woman moving in on her man and holding his attention.

While her last single “Right Back” is a pure display of her honky-tonk essence and witty sarcasm, “Rodeo Must Be a Woman” unveils tender simplicity within its instrumentation, perfectly laced by fiddle to match the heart’s cry of the lyric as she uses each of the verses to offer explanation on the complicated rodeo lifestyle:

 “Only one way to explain the kind of ride on which it takes ya

And the broken that it leaves ya, and the crazy that it makes ya”

- and - 

“For most it ain’t no different than trying to rope the Rio Grande

And the higher you fly the harder you land”

Though similar ideas are weaved into the tapestry of country music’s rich history, Tomlin’s songwriting expertise takes the familiar and uniquely crafts it into a new idea as every line through each of the verses poignantly serves the purpose of leading to the crescendo moment of chorus where she ponders:

“Rodeo must be a woman

She’ll take your dreams and kick a hole in your sky

Rodeo must be a woman

What else can make a man hold on so tight.”

Tolman’s vocal prowess proves of the highest standard as subtle tilts in her voice waiver against the missing you vibe to perfectly hold the emotional tug in the bridge when she delicately laments, “what else at the end of the day could steal my love away?”

Jenny Tolman has clearly understood the need and want for a fresh throwback feel within today’s country music landscape since her debut album There Goes the Neighborhood in 2019. As such, each new layer has consciously held true to upholding the traditions of the genre while expertly allowing her to find a unique stamp on today’s modern era. “Rodeo Must Be a Woman” is the next page turn in the exciting chapter that’s currently unfolding, peeling back the up-tempo layers to intriguingly hit an emotional strike that’s expertly hyped the buzz on what’s still to come from the uber talented neo-traditionalist.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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