After placing 2nd in the southeast region of the Colgate Country Showdown, North Carolina’s Mary Selvidge has moved into the spotlight with a classic-sounding album of ten original tunes which feature some of Nashville’s best sudio musicians in Mark Casstevens, Glen Duncan, Steve Hinson, Jeff King and Chris Leuzinger, many of whom have played on all of Garth Brooks’ records. It’s a great band that helps breathe life into Selvidge’s lyrics, which are stronger than one might expect from an ‘amateur songwriter.’ The record starts off with a Mary Chapin Carpenter-like “Would It Matter,” a song that finds Selvidge pondering the ‘grass is greener’ theory while in a love-less marriage. It’s a song that plenty of people who are in a ‘friendless marriage.’
“Broken” is an interesting song in that it discusses what happens to a girl when she is raped by a boy she went on her first date with. It’s the kind of story song that would fit Jo Dee Messina like a glove and Mary colors the hurtful lyric with the emotion of a more seasoned singer. The fiddle drenched “Livin’ To Be Free” finds Mary Selvidge singing a self-penned song about how one justifies singing her secular music to a community preacher who says her songs are gonna send her to hell. It’s a long-held thought by many hardliners in churches and synagogues and temples across the world that one can only do God’s work or live through God and Selvidge simply says to her pastor that “I’m my life according to John, I’m living my life to be free, I’m living my life to know that heaven’s waiting for me.”
“Just Me Bein’ Me” and “Heart of a Mother” showcase Selvidge singing about the power a woman has in the world, whether she’s a housewife, dressing to impress people, working a farm or learning what her purpose of life was: to be a mother. They’re passionate songs from a strong woman and both songs should appeal to women of any age. The it of it for Mary Selvidge’s album “Livin’ To Be Free” is that she’s a remarkably talented singer, and perhaps an even better songwriter. The vocals recall everyone from Mary Chapin Carpenter to Reba and even Joey Martin of Joey + Rory while the songs really could find their way onto big label artist releases with the right promotion.
You can purchase this album on Mary’s website (click here) or at amazon.com (digital) and iTunes.
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