We get so sick of the rock-n’-droll twang-with-Hallmark-lyrics that passes itself of as “country music” these days.  Let’s just call it for what it is: brain-dead crap pandering to the lowest common denominator. We won’t name names, but you and they know who the purveyors are. Hint: many appear regularly on the completely fraudulent “Country” Music Awards.  ‘Nuff said.

So it has been refreshing to hear some real country music from 26-year old Ashley Monroe (formerly of the Pistol Annies with Miranda Lambert) on her newly released debut album Like A Rose. Monroe’s songs tell well their tales that range in tenor from the lascivious all the way to the heartbroken.  And get this: the music is traditional, real country. Vince Gill produced the album well, and between the two of ’em, they got it right.

The song’s earthbound subjects range from 14-year-olds stealing pickup trucks, to coming-of-age struggles, to laments for losing out to the “other woman,” to the depths of out-of-wedlock pregnancy.  Monroe is garnering a lot of press in particular for the (calculating?) scene-stealer Give Me Weed Instead of Roses, on which Monroe looks past romantic, “teddy-bear” love in favor of whips and chains, whipped cream, whiskey and weed.  She’s to be forgiven if the song serves its obvious purpose in a post-Fifty Shades world:  as the gateway to the rest of her (more thoughtful) songs on the album.  Speaking of which, Monroe evidently co-wrote all the songs on the album, and is joined by Blake Shelton (please forgive her) on the joust-jesty You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter).

To get a better feel for Monroe and her music, you can go below and scroll over to the 37:00 minute mark of last night’s Tonight Show episode to watch Monroe perform the fine title track from the new album (never mind the bizarre commercial interruption–come on Jay, it’s the 21st century!).  We  knew from the moment we saw her vintage Gibson Hummingbird that she was legit.  Despite some glamor and glitz (who can blame her) Monroe and band acquit themselves well.  You can also watch some videos in which Monroe explains and performs some of the songs and can stream the entire album for a piece by plugging in your email address over at Monroe’s website HERE.  And if you can’t deal with the Tonight Show’s arcane video and lame commercial interruption, you can bypass it and at bottom watch another video vignette (via American Songwriter) of this legitimate country artist singing the title song.  Our hope for Monroe is that she sticks to the “real country” found on this album, and resists going the way of the CMA cabal.  Keep keepin’ it real (country) Ashley.  We’ll be listening.