Ruston Kelly – Dying Star

  • December 8, 2018

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Ruston Kelly has released his debut full-length album Dying Star – a 14 track collection of polished songwriting that shifts between the poetic and candid. Dying Star draws heavily upon some of Kelly’s most self-destructive moments in life and is ultimately an album about chaos, heartbreak, hope, and salvation. Dying Star is filled with Kelly’s warm, tenderhearted drawl, classic country melodies and rhythms that are embellished by harmonica and pedal-steel recalling everyone from the Jayhawks and Jackson Browne to Ryan Adams and Springsteen. Standout tracks include: the album opener “Cover My Tracks”; the vocoder-assisted “Son of A Highway Daughter”; the piano-based ballad “Big Brown Bus”; the Ryan Adams-esque rocker “Mockingbird”; the a tongue-in-cheek “Faceplant”; the somber “Blackout”; the tender “Anchor”; the reflective heartbreaker “Just For The Record”; and the introspective “Jericho.” All-in-all, Ruston Kelly’s is an instant Americana classic and a great listen. – Written by JFelton


SIMILAR | Ryan Adams, Hayes Carll, Tyler Childers, Brent Cobb, Chris Stapleton