Jaelee Roberts: “Something You Didn’t Count On” (2022) CD Review

Jaelee Roberts is a singer and songwriter based in Nashville and working in the bluegrass realm. You might know her from her work in the all-female group Sister Sadie, which was awarded Vocal Group of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Her new solo album, Something You Didn’t Count On, contains a mix of original material and covers, and features some talented musicians backing her. Playing on these tracks are Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Alan Bibey on mandolin, Jimmy Mattingly on fiddle, Tim Surrett on bass and dobro, and Tony Wray on guitar, along with several excellent backing vocalists.

The album opens with its title track, “Something You Didn’t Count On,” an original number written by Theo MacMillan and Jaelee Roberts, featuring some wonderful vocal work. “It was something you didn’t count on from someplace you wouldn’t go/Falling in love with someone you didn’t know/It’s tearin’ down the walls between us, I can see you for who you are/It’s clear to me now the distance is not that far/It was something, something you didn’t count on.” Providing backing vocals on this track are Kelsi Harrigill and Paul Harrigill. And, as we have all come to expect from bluegrass music, there is some phenomenal playing on this track, particularly by Kristin Scott Benson on banjo. Things then get mellower with “Think Again,” which has a pretty vibe as it starts. This is a song about taking control of one’s life again, a song of leaving. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I’ve got the gas pedal down, my mind made up, and the big green sign I’m passing/Says I’m 118 miles outside of Jackson/I’ve got the top laid back, the radio playing, and praying that the wind will clear my head/So I can think again.” Jaelee Roberts delivers a beautiful, moving vocal performance, one of the album’s best. She provides her own backing vocals on this one as well. This track also features some pretty work on fiddle. “Think Again” was written by Marla Cannon-Goodman and Shane Stockton. That’s followed by a cover of “I Owe Him Everything,” a song written by Lyn Rowell and recorded by The Perrys. I am generally not a fan of this particular kind of Jesus music, but Jaelee Roberts delivers a passionate vocal performance, and the track features more lovely work on fiddle. Amanda Smith and Kenny Smith provide backing vocals.

Things then pick up again with “Sad Songs,” written by Chris Harris, Josh Matheny and Robbie Melton. It’s about how when you have a broken heart, all the songs you hear seem to express the same troubles, when maybe you’re looking for relief. “I’ve been living those lyrics for way too long/All I need is a happy melody and a reason to sing along/All I get are these sad songs.” Ah yes, but this song doesn’t have a sound that will bring us down. I especially love that mandolin. Amanda Smith and Kenny Smith provide backing vocals on this track. That’s followed by a cover of a gorgeous, sad song, Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” Jaelee Roberts delivers an excellent rendition. “Well, I’ve been afraid of changing/‘Cause I’ve built my life around you/But time makes you bolder, even children get older/And I’m getting older too.” Special guest Vince Gill joins her on vocals for this track, and their voices blend beautifully. That in turn is followed by “The Best Of Me,” written by Kelsi Harrigill. This is one of my personal favorites, in part because of that great instrumental section in the middle, featuring some wonderful work on guitar. But it also contains one of the strongest vocal performances here, with a good amount of attitude in the delivery. “The best of me ain’t yours for the taking/The best of me, to you it won’t come free/All the glitter and the gold won’t keep you warm out in the cold/You can beg and you can plead, but you won’t get the best of me.”

“November” was written by Theo MacMillan and Jaelee Roberts, and Theo MacMillan provides backing vocals on it. Their voices blend wonderfully, and this song has a somewhat hopeful vibe. Also, I love that fiddle. “November…I wish things turned out a little different/Cold winters up north won’t ever be the same/If I get on a plane and breathe that mountain air again/You can keep the rain, but I think I’ll take my heart.” That’s followed by another original song, “Lie To Me,” which was written by Jaelee Roberts, Jerry Salley and Kelli Kingery. I love these opening lines: “The rain is good for washing off the dust of yesterday/But it can’t wash away tomorrow’s pain.” Those fantastic opening lines work to pull us in. And check out these lines: “I promise someday I’ll let go of you/When I know I’m ready for the truth/But ‘til then, just hold me like you used to/Tell me that you’ll never leave, I’m the only one you’ll ever need/I’ll pretend my heart’s not breaking right in two.” Amanda Smith and Kenny Smith provide backing vocals. There is also a beautiful instrumental section in the middle of this track. This is another of my personal favorites. Then “Still Waters” is a pretty song written by Kelsi Harrigill, who provides backing vocals on it with Paul Harrigill. This track also features some wonderful work on fiddle.

“You Can’t Stop Me From Staying” is a fun one. It’s a song about a relationship that others view as less than ideal, and the advice she receives from them to leave the other person. But it’s really about holding on, about sticking through the tough times, a good message for these days. “You can’t stop me from staying/These hard times ain’t gonna get me down/Nothing in this world is gonna break me/You can count on my heart to stick around.” Plus, it features some great playing from all the musicians. I especially love that mandolin lead in the middle. This song was written by Jon Weisberger and Molly Tuttle. That’s followed by “The Beginning Was The End,” an original number that Jaelee Roberts wrote with Mallory Eagle. This one has a more serious sound, and features some nice work on guitar. Here she sings, “Months go by, and we both know this ain’t right/But you keep telling me that you’ll be better in time.” So clearly this song takes a different path from the previous track. “Part of me knew how our story went/Even before we started writing it.” The album concludes with a lively cover of Gram Parsons’ “Luxury Liner.” “You think I’m lonesome, so do I, so do I.” Ah, but the music tells us a different story; it is fun, full, warm, and moves at a good clip. And check out that work on guitar. Actually, the whole band is cooking on this one, and when it begins to fade out I want a little more.

CD Track List

1. Something You Didn’t Count On
2. Think Again
3. I Owe Him Everything
4. Sad Songs
5. Landslide
6. The Best Of Me
7. November
8. Lie To Me
9. Still Waters
10. You Can’t Stop Me From Staying
11. The Beginning Was The End
12. Luxury Liner

Something You Didn’t Count On is scheduled to be released on May 20, 2022 through Mountain Home Music Company.