Southern Bell Raisin' Hell (Atlantic, 2025)

There's a trend emerging of adventurous female artists in country music, exemplified by the success of Sierra Ferrell, but also including new faces such as Willow Avalon; they're couched in traditional country sounds, but have their own contemporary spin on the style. Avalon's debut album covers a lot of ground, from indie-pop to yodeling and honky-tonk twang, with the constant being her quivering, distinctive voice.

"Homewrecker" is the easy choice for an immediate, impactful track as it covers a familiar country music trope that dates back to "Jolene" if not farther. In Avalon's hands, it turns into a negative, as in "I ain't no homewrecker," however. "Tequila Or Whiskey," is another one that takes a traditional country music subject and inverts it with a gentle, sensitive arrangement that belies its status as a drinking song.

Avalon dives unapologetically into more classic country with the yodeling collaboration with Maggie Antone, "Yodelayheewho," and namechecks Dolly Parton on the tongue in cheek tribute, "Hey There Dolly." where she fantasizes about meeting her hero and that "We share some apples from the same family tree." But it's not all twang and drawl, as tracks such as "Blue Baby Blue" and "Want Me Now" come across as memorable, wispy indie pop tunes more than cookie cutter pop country hits.

Willow Avalon definitely shares some apples from the family tree of country music, however, at least in the way she's pushing boundaries while paying tribute to the tradition.