Sean McConnell
Bush Hall, 30 January 2019
Sparrow, the latest album by country star Ashley Monroe (also of the
supergroup Pistol Annies) is a lush, strings-filled affair, the music
gently reflecting the emotion of the heart-felt, personal songs. It's a
showstopper and one of the best records of last year. Yet, here she is
alone on a stage in the beautifully, atmospheric Bush Hall, with just
her powerful voice and an acoustic guitar and somehow it is as full and
as affecting as all those strings and epic sounds. That's because
beneath the wonderful production, Monroe is a brilliant storyteller, a
fantastic songwriter and a powerful performer. All she needs is a guitar
and she manages to captivate us all: she is spellbinding.
