Courtney Patton – So This Is Life

Courtney Patton’s aptly named third album, So This Is Life, is comprised of story songs inspired by her life.  Produced by Drew Kennedy, each song is beautifully executed and perfectly balanced, with fiddle and steel guitar that never overshadow Patton’s rich vocals.  The best songs rip out my heart while simultaneously soothing my soul, which happens with every. single. track.  It’s honest, simple, and heartfelt.

My favorites are: “Twelve Days”, Courtney’s first love song; the title track, written about her parents’ divorce; “Battle These Blues”, which talks of heartbreak and depression; and “War of Art”, a song for her kids, about the struggle she faced when choosing to quit her “real” job and focus on songwriting and performing.

A fitting end to the album, “But I Did” sums up what all of us feel at one point or another – “I don’t really know what I’m doing.”  Well, what you’re doing with this album is punching me right in the feels, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, this is life. And yours will be better with this album in it, too.