The Motor City might not exactly be known as a hotbed of country music talent, but it happens to be the home of one talented country voice by the name of Danielle Car. She has yet to ink a record deal, but has been actively making the rounds and building a fan following with her independent efforts.
Car has continually cited California country legend Dwight Yoakam as a favorite artist as well as a primary musical influence, but you don’t have to read her bio to guess that – it’s clear from one listen of her current single “Turn You On.” A driving Bakersfield-via-Detroit-style production puts the listener right in the middle of the dim lights, thick smoke, and loud, loud music as Car’s narrator attempts to drown her blues in liquor, only to stumble into a new romance quite accidentally.
But while the sonic stylings may be an open nod to the legends of California country, the fun, flirtatious melody and the irresistible energy in Car’s performance are anything but derivative. What impresses most about “Turn You On” is the fact that Car honors her influences while still bringing plenty of herself to the project. The Yoakam influence in particular is unmistakable, but “Turn You On” remains first and foremost a Danielle Car record.
Far from displaying the complacency that weighs down far too much of today’s country music, Car delivers a blast of spirited country fun that begs to be replayed over and over again. The country radio listening experience would be a lot more engaging if today’s hits showed half as much personality.
Written by Danielle Car
Grade: A
Strong voice and definitely a female Dwight. That Bakersfield sound is there for sure but gosh it felt good to shut my eyes and just listen.
Grade A+ she is truly talented,she can sing fantastic hope she signs a recird deal soon too talented to not record
If she can make any kind of breakthrough on country radio with this unique twist on the Bakersfield sound, this could conceivably make a dent in the faux-Skynyrd Southern arena rock schlock that country music has, in my opinion, sadly deteriorated to today. It probably won’t end it, but I’d settle for it just breaking the monotony.
…this is only a little too much speed and a whiff of slightly more careful production away from being a seriously big chart hit contender. then again, it sounds absolutely terrific the way it is.
its tempo and enthusiasm reminds me of good ol’ punk. if cow-punk was not yet invented, this could be one of its defining tunes, possibly.
being a car from detroit on top of everything sounds almost aristocratic in a motown sort of way. i’d love to hear a full album of her.
say what you want, but the “girls” are delivering the goods this year in country and there seems to be no stopping them.
I like her sound but this song didn’t do a lot for me. Just watched a you-tube video of her singing the song at a Detroit radio station, WYCD. (Performance “A”, song “B”)
…this gets better every time you listen to it.