Max
Jackson
Life of the Party: Album Review
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Overall I would call this album a stunning collection of country-pop symphonies that make your heart smile. Growing up in country New South Wales, Max Jackson always dreamed of playing her music to people just like how her idols Becky Cole and Gina Jeffreys would do in her hometown of Coonamble. And now, Jackson has joined Jeffreys alongside her husband Rod McCormack for their show-stopping Beautiful Tangle national tour. But let's talk about this gorgeous album.
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The record starts off with Saturday; the first released single which got to #4 on the iTunes Country Chart. I personally love when albums start off with a song you already know, because it gets you singing along straight away! Before you know it you're listening to the title track, Life of the Party, and it's super relatable! The mellow country vibes of the track is a preview into the rest of the record; beautifully composed music and thoughtful lyrics.
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Another pre-released favourite How to Love a Girl comes next, written with the renowned Georgia Middleman, followed by one of my favourites on the album, Song Girl.
"For as long as I can remember, I've been known as the "song girl" and my songs have spoken the words I could never say," Max explains.
My favourite lyric? "All of my fears and all of my failures in plain sight, my life set to music in under three minutes of borrowed time".
It’s just such a sentiment to all songwriters out there, asking for their music to be listened to and appreciated.
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The next couple of tracks Jungle and Already Homesick are two more of my favourites with their energetic melodies, thought-provoking lyrics and super catchy choruses. I can already hear these ones being played live! As the record goes on, I feel myself sinking deeper into the music; being carried away into my thoughts amongst the mellowness of it all.
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Then comes Carnival Heart, and with lyrics like, "I watch you drive away thinking it'll be easier, but each time it breaks just as hard, my carnival heart" it makes it difficult to not want to cry! And then comes Love is Dead; my actual favourite song on the whole album. From the second it starts you are captivated into the story, and then the harmonies come in and your heart just explodes.
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Coming to the end of the record we have three more tracks filled with precious stories of love. Truthfully, the stories this record tells feels like when you finish a great book, and then you don't know what to do with yourself. Star is the song I feel like I've needed to hear my whole life, and Better is the perfect way to finish it all off; a short, sweet yet heartbreaking story wrapped up in a short two minutes.
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The order of this album flows so well, so listen in order! I always listen to albums in order for the first full listen as there is always so much work that goes into the order of the track listing.
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Listening to the Life of the Party record reminds me a lot of listening to Taylor Swift's Fearless album for the first time; and I just want to listen again and again.
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