What an exciting talent Amy Westney is. The British country singer from Essex has recently released her debut EP Love Shouldn’t Hurt. Coming up at just over 15 minutes, the five tracks featured all have a distinct southern sound that somehow, nevertheless, feels fresh. There is something about this female artist that is exciting and new.

Despite the fact that her sound evokes a very traditional country music image for the most part, she has still managed to create a soundtrack that is fresh, vibrant and engaging. The opening track, “Country Music”, is perhaps the key to this mystery. It is both an ode to the greats of country music and a lament to the current state of songwriting within the genre. Westney asks to go “Back when country music had something to say”. Her passion for realism and true emotion becomes clear in the follow-up tracks. Her debut single “Numb“, in particular, is a heartbreaking song about the destructive effects of a person’s words. It is very relatable. Westney tells it like it is. She doesn’t hold back. I think this is the key ingredient to this EP’s success.

The title track, “Love Shouldn’t Hurt”, may evoke the sound of Dolly Parton. Final track “Don’t Push Me Darlin'” may have something of the Dixie Chicks about it. But because Westney has such a deep passion for storytelling, her unique voice comes across every time, meaning that it is always her singing, never imitating someone else. Let’s hope that this recording experience, in which she teamed up with some of Nashville and the UK’s finest producers and musicians, stands her in good stead to release a full album. She certainly has the vocal and storytelling talent to go a long way.

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