Fifth On The Floor - Ashes & Angels (ALBUM REVIEW)

Sometimes things just work out for the best. Sometimes all the pieces come together at exactly the right time to create something awesome. That's just what you get when you listen to Fifth On The Floor's Ashes & Angels. It's the perfect mixture of producer and artist.

I had heard previous releases of Fifth's and I was impressed. You could tell the band had greatness in them and it was going to come to fruition soon. Well when the band announced Shooter Jennings would produce Ashes & Angels the entire country music blogosphere was in anticipation to see what the outcome might be.

The pairing of Jennings and Fifth just works in so many ways. Shooter is familiar with the sound (see Electric Rodeo and Put The O Back In Country) and basically knew exactly what to do with this album to help the songs achieve full potential. The Fifth guys do the rest by bringing their A game to the album and basically knocking out one of the best thought out southern-rock tinged country albums I've probably heard in a couple years. It's a pure barn burner. The vocal performances on the slow songs tends to keep pace with the faster songs on the album as lead singer Justin Wells shows he can get the job done. I also really like the guitar tones and overall sound.

The songwriting and performance on tracks like "Wild Child" will probably give some senior songwriters in the country-rock genre a run for their money. It's pure gold and one of the better songs I've heard from the genre in a long time.

The album is also highlighted by some guests. Shooter plays piano on a few songs. Rachel Brooke, another fast rising star, guests on a song where she mostly handles the lead vocals. I can see where the song could feel slightly out of place in the context of the album, but being a huge Rachel Brooke fan the guest spot is a welcomed addition on the album to me.

In the end you get an album that speaks to the underground in a way few country-rock albums have over the last few years. It has the chops to be big, but it also feels at home in the underground. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fifth On The Floor as one of the biggest breakout acts this year coming from the underground scene. Ashes & Angels is well worth checking out and is sure to get more than a few listens from me this year.