ASHLEY PUCKETT

                                                            "What's Her Name" 

                                                            MTS Records

When Pittsburgh area artist Ashley Puckett released her Never Say Never album in 2020, she quickly emerged as one of country music’s young female artists to watch on the back the album’s gritty, swampy country sound she delivered on “Bulletproof,” and continued to intrigue when she unveiled another layer of who she is as an artist with the softer paced “Live Like You Love.”

Puckett now returns with “What’s Her Name,” a track written by Ri Danni that more closely follows the signature suit of what we heard from her on “Bulletproof.”

“I saw the strangest look in your eye when you came home tonight,” opens the song as Puckett quickly introduces the listener to her emotionally charged vocals, which will become the signature focus of the song as she uses her voice to elevate each line of the lyrics and gut punch them to life as the story unfolds.

She then quickly recognizes that something has changed with him and his attitude, and as the layers unravel in the opening verse it finally hits her that he’s carrying the look of shame as she realizes that he’s been cheating on her. 

With pure confusion injected into her vocal delivery she laments on how happy they looked in their wedding day photo, before masterfully shifting her voice to uphold spiteful anger when she scornfully asks if she was worth it, encompassing the weight of the lyrics.

However, Puckett also allows a vulnerability to shine through at all the perfect moments to uphold the true array of emotions that are naturally felt when trying to process such a hurt as she begins to think through all the normal things that come with this situation, “You said you were different,”  “Tell me who can make you do this,” etc… before delving back into her heartbreak with the two very strong lines that play the confusion against one another: 

“One side of my broken heart says I should hate you, you’ll just do this again

But the other side still loves you and wants someone else to blame.”

The shred in the guitars, especially through the bridge, pulls you into the vibey backbeat and melody that continuously upholds a moody tone that encompasses the regret, hurt, and pain, but it’s Ashley Puckett’s know how with her vocals that is the glue that binds this all together and gives us the next song in her arsenal that will elevate her status to new heights.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

• Prev
• Next