Album Review: Thirty One by Jana Kramer

It’s often been said – and correctly so – that there aren’t a lot of women making waves in mainstream country music. Sure, you have Carrie and Miranda doing their thing, but that’s about the extent of it now that Faith and Trisha aren’t releasing music full-time. The interesting duo of Maddie and Tae, most famous for their anti bro-country anthem ‘Girl in a Country Song’ last year, are yet to prove they’re more than a one hit wonder. 

When you compare that to the incredible amount of men making waves in Nashville, moving truckloads of albums and selling out stadiums like Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan and Florida-Georgia Line, we’re not exactly seeing a golden age for female country music. Reba and Dolly are mostly gone.

Enter Jana Kramer. The former One Tree Hill star – she played the obnoxious Alex Dupree late in the show’s nine-year run- has just released her second album, Thirty One, named for her age (which, unlike many her age, Kramer doesn’t seem too concerned with hiding), and if her self-titled debut, which had songs featured on One Tree Hill was a solid start, her sophomore effort bursts out of the blocks, and is an impressive listen from start to finish.

Per chance, Kramer is more famous for her failed relationship with country-rocker Brantley Gilbert or for her One Tree Hill appearances or three failed marriages, but that should change having released such a good album. Married once more, and with a child on the way, Kramer is obviously happy, in a good place in her life, and it shows on 31.

Whilst the music leans towards pop-country rather than the traditional brand, it’s Kramer’s strong voice that carries the collection, and there’. ‘Bullet’ leaps out at me instantly. I was hooked after the first listen, and I’ve listened to it dozens of times since. Suffice to say it’s rising steadily towards the top of my Top 100 Most Played playlist on iTunes. The chorus gets in your head, and it stays there. Belatedly, I learned that Steven Tyler, the Aerosmith front man, who has his own country album in the works – who doesn’t these days, right? – featured on this song. Rumour has it that ‘Bullet’ is about dodging one, in the form of her failed engagement to Gilbert.

The soft, thoughtful song ‘I Got The Boy’ was Kramer’s lead single for this project. It’s been out since the (northern hemisphere) spring, and recently has been climbing steadily up the charts. It’s a very traditional country song, the most traditional of all the songs on Thirty One, a narrative about love and relationship that is getting deserved positive press, and is already Kramer’s second-most successful single.

In some of the other songs ‘Pop That Bottle’ and ‘Don’t Touch My Radio’ are reminiscent of the hard-driving style of Miranda Lambert, and Kramer’s smoky vocals make it work. ‘Boomerang’ is another song worth checking out.

Three years passed between Kramer’s first album and her follow-up. Hopefully we won’t have to wait quite as long for a third release.