Alecia Nugent - The Old Side Of Town

In this week's episode we're featuring the debut country record for Louisiana's Alecia Nugent: "The Old Side Of Town" (2020). After three top-notch bluegrass albums on Rounder Records, Nugent elected to slow down and came off the road to spend more time raising her three daughters. Life got in the way, however, and after an extended period at home but with the intention of recording another project, Nugent moved back to Nashville, secured a backer and her first album in ten years was born. Even during the making of her third album "Hillbilly Goddess", the Rounder folks noted that Nugent had a penchant for picking country-flavoured songs - so it seemed natural that "The Old Side Of Town" would be her country music debut. Classic country too - fiddle from Stuart Duncan and steel from maestro Paul Franklin under the deft production of Keith Stegall - Nugent's return to form is steeped in tradition and is an intensely personal, emotional and enjoyable album. The tearjerking tribute to her Dad in "They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy Anymore" is the album's lynchpin; a cover of mentor/employer Tom T. Hall's "The Old Side Of Town" is right on point and the Texas shuffle style of "Tell Fort Worth I Said Hello" is another highlight. Thoroughly enjoyable comeback which will likely appeal to fans of both country and bluegrass music.