Jess Ledbetter - Small Town Forgiveness (2024)

Ledbetter’s voyage begins with “Roses in Flames,” featuring a haunting melody enhanced by Nick Rapley’s tasteful mandolin, reminiscent of the arrangements on Ray LaMontagne’s 2010 God Willin’ album with the Pariah Dogs. Ledbetter laments “Roses up in flames/orchids do the same/I know it all burns down/Live another day/ she will find a way/I know it all burns down” sounding like a sweeter (albeit still a little weathered) Lucinda Williams.

On “Lonesome,” Ledbetter takes the listener to a honky tonk, and allows herself to be vulnerable. She’s “as lonesome as a cowgirl,” paying tribute to a bygone era and old outlaw country anthems in a solemn, sultry, believable way. Cosmic the Cowboy adds to the forlorn feeling with subtle, poignant pedal steel.

Ledbetter goes further down the tracks on “Standing at your door,” taking the listener to a place of utter despair and desperation. You can feel her standing outside the door, her heart broken, seconds away from a breakdown. We feel her because we’ve been there, because we believe her, because she’s as raw and honest as it gets. It’s smart songwriting. As the narrator, she’s reflecting, understanding the absurdity of it all, but although she’s learned and grown, the pain is still there.

Small Town Forgiveness is more than Ledbetter pouring out her heart. “Magpie,” for example, is a rocker, an upbeat folk jam that sounds like a mix of Fleetwood Mac and Help-era Beatles. It’ll get you moving your head back and forth, and Rapley’s guitar riff will get stuck in your head. Rapley also mans the drums, percussion and the bass on the album, giving each song just as much or as little as it needs, strengthening Ledbetter’s delivery and message.

“[Rapley] played a huge part in the album,” Ledbetter told me. “He has such an intuitive understanding of my work.”

“Drive All Night” sounds like a dream sequence. It’s hypnotizing, dark, yet hopeful, and makes you wonder just where this journey is taking you. Its title is appropriate, as it’s a great night drive song. I can see Ledbetter behind the wheel, a long highway drive ahead of her.

The trek continues with “65 on 66,” where Rapley returns to steal the show with a melodic mando slide that couldn’t compliment the song any better. And the message is once again hopeful. Whether in a car or a train, Ledbetter is singing and strumming her way back to the one she loves, and we’re eager to get there with her.

“Another Day” has the best build on the album, finding its way into a heavenly crescendo. It sounds like falling in love. Ledbetter’s voice shifts from lost to found, and she does it at the end without lyrics – she does it with sustained “oohs” and euphoric cello by Erin Hurley-Gerig.

“Visions of June” is a psychedelic trip. It should be used as the intro to True Detective, “Season Five.” It reminds me of mid-90s David Bowie and the genre-bending, mind-altering work he did when he teamed up with Brian Eno again on The Outside. Rapley’s bass line is infectious here, driving and energizing the song. This tune gives you an idea why Ledbetter is also referred to as the “High Desert Hypnotist.”

Rapley strikes again on “I Wish You Would” with mandolin playing reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore.” This track is about as eerie as you can get on an acoustic track. The credit goes to Ledbetter and Rapley’s inventive, original arrangements, as well as Paul Bennett’s work as “tape machine processor” and Jesse Cannon’s fine mastering work.

“Anywhere But Here” is another old-time tune, a farewell of sorts. Ledbetter bids ado from an old saloon with a fiddle by Bobby Hawk that sounds straight off the Cold Mountain soundtrack. Hawk just about brings you to tears, echoing Ledbetter’s low notes with compassion and grace. It’s a sobering, honest and heart-wrenching end to the album, one that feels almost incomplete, as it should be. Ledbetter is a work in progress, just like we all are.

“In the shimmering puddle of country, folk, & Americana music lies the rippling reflection of Texas native Jess Ledbetter. A train singer and nostalgic songstress, Ledbetter is an enigmatic performer rising steadily as a new yet familiar voice in independent music. Ledbetter doesn’t fit squarely into one genre as she seems to explore varying styles and sonic textures. Her music is grounded by her steady vocal presence and diaristic song collection. Previously seen fronting shoegaze and punk bands in Brooklyn and Austin, Ledbetter’s sound matches both her past and present musical endeavors. From sweaty basement shows to working professionally as a singer aboard a passenger train to the Grand Canyon, Ledbetter always seems to feel at home. Her new album, Small Town Forgiveness, features a swirl of mandolin, steel guitar, cello, fiddle, pedal steel, among painterly lyricism and sharp melodies. Ledbetter is breaking out as a fresh interpretation of classic music. “