Independent
Release Date: March 17th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Erin Kinsey– Bet My Heart (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Boys In Boots
- Stayed A Summer
- Little More Cowboy
- Bet My Heart
- Always Never
- Vegas
- Handful (Acoustic)
Since Jon and I have started our still-ongoing-but-now-on-hiatus-blog series about most influential artists of all time, I’ve been listening more and more to different genres of music. I’ve discovered that not all mainstream music is bad, and I’ve grown to appreciate, love and also anticipate albums from mainstream artists. And… let me tell you, the genre that I have since grown to love is the country genre. Isn’t that ironic? I don’t’ live in America, yet music about American culture and living in the ‘sticks’ and being patriotic for America and hanging out in Texas… resonates with me. How weird is that? Well, I’ve found that country music has that certain level of honesty, emotion, vulnerability, authenticity as well as relatability; and it seems that other genres seem to be lacking in those qualities just a bit. Yep, I reckon country music is even more honest than CCM music or worship music. You can call me a heretic or blasphemous, but I’m just outlining what I’ve observed. From artists like Maddie & Tae, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Blake Shelton and Walker Hayes, to others like Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Lindsay Ell, Cassadee Pope, Little Big Town, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, The McClymonts, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton, Ingrid Andress, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen and Russell Dickerson… and even Taylor Swift; the list goes on and on as to who has wormed their way into my heart and soul over the past few years. Enter in Erin Kinsey, who is a rising star in country music. In March this year, she released her debut EP 40 East (which I reviewed here), and since then, Erin has released a new EP. Actually, it’s not new, it’s almost a year old, but Bet My Heart is fun, earnest, engaging and just plain enjoyable- that it deserves to be written about!
When I reviewed Erin’s debut EP… it was while I wasn’t that knowledgeable about Erin’s life in general. I stumbled across the EP a while ago when it was on Apple Music for pre-order on my phone- I was searching for something new to listen to, and lo and behold, there it was. I’ve since listened to Erin’s music… and boy, can I say that it’s a joy to listen to and be immersed in Erin’s positivity, optimism, joy, and passion for life in general. There isn’t much known about Erin except what is on her website and on social media (and there still isn’t much information aside from interviews here and there!), so you can google her if you want to. But 40 East and listening to that project even while not knowing much about Erin, if at all; well that kinda opens the door to her life a bit, and these melodies is like being invited into a personal area of her space and her heart- and for us all, it should be an honour and a pleasure to be considered worthy to hear Erin’s inner-most thoughts and her heart for what she believes in.
With Erin placing her heart on her sleeve and being incredibly vulnerable, honest and authentic, Bet My Heart inspires us all to look inside ourselves and step out into that space of exposure, purpose, determination and fortitude. It takes guts for Erin to be as truthful as she is on this EP; but it seems to me that the songs that resonate the most here are the ones that are universal, overarching, and general enough to have it apply to more than one specific situation, and more than one circumstance. And if people see themselves in Erin’s music- that is what will propel her more and more into stardom and country folklore. In the already-released “Vegas”, Erin powerfully and elegantly relays to us the feelings of the start of a burgeoning relationship; as “Vegas” is a poppy track presumably sung about her current relationship, and about the euphoric highs of loving someone so much that you’re willing to marry them right now, even if it is a quick wedding in Vegas. EP opener “Boys In Boots” is a fun-filled and feisty melody about the fact that Erin loves her men from the country rather than the city; while the melancholy ballad “Stayed A Summer” speaks about regret and what-ifs and wishing for what-could-have-beens, with Erin wondering whether she and her ex would still be together if they would have stayed together one entire summer in a particular year.
“A Little More Cowboy”, another emotional ballad, speaks about Erin wanting to turn off her feelings and act more like a ‘macho’ cowboy, so as not to feel hurt, betrayed, alone and isolated every time she breaks up with someone; while the celebratory, upbeat and energetic title track is where Erin uses lots of gambling metaphors, all to conclude that she is going ‘all in’ on her current relationship and is willing to take a gamble and a risk in order to feel alive and happy and secure and content in where she is right now. On the contrary, “Always Never” brings the lyrical content back to the serious and heartbreaking, as Erin recounts in vivid detail the events leading to her most recent breakup, and the realisation that her ex was always going to leave her and that he was never going to choose her in the long run. And while forever-single people may not understand a heartbreak song, Erin still sings from the heart and inspires us to rather be alone than to be committed to a toxic relationship. The final melody on Bet My Heart is “Handful”, a jovial and passionate acoustic guitar led track where Erin is describing to her current partner that she is a handful, and she knows it and she loves that over-the-top part of herself, and will not compromise that part for anyone.
Erin Kinsey’s 40 East is an EP that isn’t particularly inventive or creative musically. But it has heart and soul and passion and encouragement and inspiration- and for that I’m glad I listened to this EP and I’m glad I voiced my thoughts. Likewise, Bet My Heart isn’t particularly inventive in a musical sense- but Erin is so likeable, so it’s hard to hate on these songs at all. Erin is a country star in the making- so watch out world because she is coming and taking the world by storm! Well done, Erin, I can’t wait to hear what your full-length debut album sounds like!
3 songs to listen to: Stayed A Summer, Bet My Heart, Vegas
Score: 4/5
RIYL: Gabby Barrett, Tenille Arts, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson