Ashley Heath: “Something To Believe” (2022) CD Review

Ashley Heath is a singer and songwriter based in Asheville, North Carolina. She put out her first disc, titled A Different Stream, in 2016, and followed it with Where Hope Never Dies two years later. She is now following those with her third release, Something To Believe, her first on Organic Records. The songs on the disc were written just before the pandemic (remember those days?), and all are originals, composed by Ashley Heath. In addition to providing vocals, Ashley Heath plays electric guitar and acoustic guitar, and also produced these tracks. Joining her on this release are Patrick Dodd on electric guitar, Daniel Combs on organ and piano, Ryan Crabtree on bass, and Paul Gladstone on drums.

The disc opens with its title track, “Something To Believe.” A cool, slow, strong, bluesy groove is established immediately, with a bit of a late 1960s/early 1970s vibe. “I spend my time getting lost in a dream,” she tells us at the beginning of this one. And soon she asks, “Are we done with our hard times?/Are they over?” Hell, we as a country have been asking that for several years now. And so far, sadly, the answer has been a resounding No. Then she sings, “Give me answers” and “Give me, give me/Something to believe.” I think most of us can relate to those lines. There is a bit of a funky edge to this song at certain points, and there is some really cool work on organ in the second half. Ashley Heath then changes gears with “I Remember,” which begins gently on acoustic guitar. Her vocal approach is different as well. There is something sweeter here, but still with the blues in her heart. “Darling, I remember/The best part of you/And I hope you remember/The best part of me too.” Halfway through she sings, “And please remember/That it’s just a bad day/Not a bad life.” Ah, that is good advice, and something to keep in my mind when we’ve had a particularly rotten day, or several in a row. And the music seems to take a cheerful turn at that point, and features some nice work on keys. Her vocals take on more energy. This is a positive, beautiful song in which she asks, “Did I do the best I could/With this life of mine?” Death has been on my mind a lot lately, and I wonder how we’ll each answer that question when it comes time. Of course, it’s never too early to ask ourselves such questions, when there is still time to make changes, depending on the answers.

At the beginning of “The Letter,” Ashley Heath sings, “I spend most of my days alone/Just trying to write a song/And all of the hard times you put me through/Seems like you got nothing better to do.” It seems in this one that things are just not going to work out, and she knows it. This song features another passionate vocal performance. That is followed by “I’m Used To It,” which begins softly on guitar. “Oh, the road has a lonesome rhythm,” she sings here. And this one has the feel of a song she is playing alone, perhaps on the side of the road, at a campsite at night, surrounded by darkness. She delivers a beautiful and captivating performance. “I’ve accepted all my wrongs/And I know I’m on my own.” And these lines are wonderfully sad: “I could sell everything I own/No one would know if I was gone.” Yet it feels like there is something hopeful in this song, particularly in the energy of her vocals when she raises her voice to the sky, even if no one is there to hear her. This is my personal favorite track.

The disc gets bluesy again with “You Think I’m A Fool,” the electric guitar leading us into the world of this song before Ashley Heath’s vocals come in. This one also takes place somewhere on the road, at least at the beginning, when she sings, “I pulled off at a roadside sign/On the edge of the highway.” This one also grows in energy, and features in addition to that great work on electric guitar some really nice stuff on organ. The disc opened with a song in which Ashley Heath asked, “Are we done with our hard times?” And it closes with a song in which she asks, “Are the odds against me as I stand before you now?” This song, “How Long,” contains a smooth, soulful vocal performance, and has a delicious, easygoing vibe. “What will happen to my dreams?/Will they get lost in yours?”

CD Track List

1. Something To Believe
2. I Remember
3. The Letter
4. I’m Used To It
5. You Think I’m A Fool
6. How Long

Something To Believe was released on October 21, 2022 on Organic Records.