BlackTop Road

Angela Easterling | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 14, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: De L'Est Music
• ASIN: B002CIIBTU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,377 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Americana/Country at it's finest..., July 21, 2009

By 

Don Talley "The Black Mountain Music Scene" (Black Mountain, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackTop Road (Audio CD)

Easterling's 2009 release, BlackTop Road shows obvoius growth since her intial 2006 release, Earning Her Wings. The songwriting on BlackTop Roadis consistently stronger and her singing shows maturity and confidence of a established performer who knows what she wants to say and goes directly to the heart of the matter without beating around the bush.
Will Kimbrough's masterful hand (and ear) are evident in the production and it's obvious both Will and Angela pulled out all the stops on this project. Album design and artwork are also to be commended.

Title track, Blacktop Road, demonstrates that she's singing about something which touches her directly and deeply. This is HER grandfather she's singing about and it shows in her delivery. The track has strong hooks which keep the song in your head long after the cd stops spinning. Lead track, American Id also shows the grit and spunk and is a good choice to grab the listeners attention from the "get go".
Angela is at her best when she's in your face both lyrically and vocally, demanding your attention. This isn't background music for conversation or drinkin....this is honky-tonk music which commands your attention from start to finish. It reminds you of the time when country wasn't watered down with cross-over pablum and when Friday and Saturday nights meant a trip to the local honky-tonk to blow off steam from a long week; a time when your local jukebox was a treasured friend. The spirit of a honky-tonk jukebox just doesn't fit into a mp3 player smaller than a Zippo lighter. But that spirit still lives in Blacktop Road.

Listening to this CD it's easy to find yourself envisioning Angela sharing the stage with honky-tonk heroes like Loretta, Wanda J, Billy Joe, and Dwight.
Old-School Country and Americana is on the rise and Angela Easterling has the potential to go far in this genre. I'm not surprised to see that this release has immediately appeared on the Americana Airplay charts for new adds and it'll be interesting to watch both BlackTop Road and Angela Easterling continue to climb.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars she has the gift, July 14, 2009

By 

Ed Maxin "Easy Ed" (Murrieta, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackTop Road (Audio CD)

I stumbled onto Angela through the No Depression alt-country/Americana web community several months ago and was struck not only by her incredible voice, but also the way she presents her music and connects with fans. She is one of a new breed of performer that has embraced technology in a way that brings her closer to her audience as opposed to isolating them. Basically a one woman show, she's often on the road performing while staying connected via her website and Facebook. She shares her life story, her daily ups and downs, her passions and frustrations,and by doing so her music becomes a living and breathing entity rather than just a soundtrack. In getting to know her, I found myself eagerly awaiting Blacktop Road's release. She sent fans a free mp3 of "Better" a couple of months ago to whet our appetite and it sure did the trick. It has become my favorite song of the moment and when I downloaded the album last night I wasn't surprised to discover that every track is a killer. The editorial from Twang Nation posted above says it more eloquently than I can, but in a nutshell Angela has a true gift that we don't often find in a performer. As a true DIY'er in the modern age of the new music industry, you won't necessarily find her album in your local record store...that is if you still have a local record store. You'll hear it on Americana radio, at her shows and you can buy it right here/right now. I would suggest that it would be a wise decision to do so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surpassed my already high expectations, September 23, 2009

By 

J. Bonich (Woodbridge, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackTop Road (Audio CD)

Ever since I first saw Angela play at the Birchmere in Alexandria and picked up her first album, Earning Her Wings,it has been a staple of my listening diet. I just recently received Blacktop Road. I wasn't sure it would live up to EHW, but after a first listen I knew I was proven wrong. Every song was overflowing with emotion. AP Carter's blues sent chills down my spine! I loved American ID when I first read the lyrics in her blog and was real happy to see her include it on the album. As for Blacktop Road - loved the vocals, but the music wasn't angry enough, haha, though I have to admit it would have been weird to hear an angry metal song on a folk/country album :) My uncle had to sell what was left of the family property because all the Mcmansions and high income Gov't officials in the county drove his taxes too high. So I know where she's coming from. Strong musicianship, strong songwriting, and gorgeous vocals make this album a must have for any country music or singer-songwriter fan.