Willow Avalon debuts her album ‘Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell’ 

5 out of 5 stars. 
 
With the release of her debut album on Jan. 17, singer-songwriter Willow Avalon has cemented herself as one of Nashville’s rising stars. The album “Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell” consists of 14 songs totaling 43 minutes of musical bliss. Songs aside, Avalon has made herself a country music icon, using her mugshot from a Georgia prison as the album cover.  
 
Avalon first found a large following on TikTok when her song “Homewrecker” went viral. While viral songs can struggle to hold their audience on streaming services, the album lives up to the hype.  
 
“Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell” is a musical masterpiece. Like musicals, albums often have one song too many, but there isn’t a single song on the album that shouldn’t be there. It should be put on repeat in every home in America, or at least half of them.  
 
From the start of the album, Avalon establishes her musical credibility with the song “Runs in the Family.” The track is a woman speaking about the members in her family involved in music. Starting with this recording invites Avalon’s listeners into a family tradition and gives the album a more personal feel. 
 
“Something to Regret” is the second track on her album. On the track, Avalon sings, “I sip you like whiskey/you sip me like red/ put ’em both together we’ll do something we regret.” Released as a single to promote the album, the song drew new audiences to Avalon’s music. Her voice calls to anyone who just can’t pull themselves out of a love they know is killing them.  
 
Written after she found out a man she had been seeing was married, “Homewrecker” sets the tone for the album. With the line “I’m just a girl who tried to take a man for his word,” Avalon sets her listeners up for a journey through her own personal heartbreak.  
 
Avalon’s voice sounds the way wildflowers smell. This is clearest in “Yodelayheewhoo,” a song she sings with country music artist Maggie Antone. In the song, Avalon and Antone call out a man and tell him, “I ain’t your momma/ And you ain’t my man/ So you aren’t my problem/ Won’t be again.” The singers’ voices complement each other and create seamless harmonies. 
 
“Baby Blue,” the next song on the album, is characterized by heartache. Avalon sings of two people in love who didn’t quite get the timing right. In the chorus, she sings, “all I ever do is make you/ blue baby blue.” In her voice there is a twinge of longing, as if she would go back in time and change how things worked out.  
 
Following “Baby Blue” is the song “Country Never Leaves.” Avalon perfectly captures the feeling of loving a hometown you have no choice but to leave. She sings of the way that one carries their home with them wherever they go: “you can take the girl out of the country, but it never ever really leaves.”  
 
The next song on the album, “The Actor” marks a shift in tone. Avalon sings, “I never knew it wasn’t my heart he was after / my love the actor.” She goes on to tell how in their relationship, her partner changed into a man she didn’t know. The song is laced with bitterness and a touch of anger, perfect for any breakup playlist.  
 
“Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell” is the title track for the album and marks a midpoint in the narrative.The song is a rock ballad to her own power, “if you two time this little lady / you’re gonna see a long line of family crazy.”  
 
In another standout song “Hey There, Dolly,” Avalon compares herself to Dolly Parton, “Hey there, Dolly, I’m just like you.” She goes on to draw comparisons between the country roots the two of them share. Her voice is powerful and assured. The casting directors for the new Dolly Parton musical should be taking notes, it seems the search for Dolly is over. 
 
In “Want Me Now,” Avalon sings about an ex who tried to rekindle their love. She sings, “you say you want me / but you had me … now you can’t have me.” Her voice is laced with pain as she sings of the struggle between taking him back and knowing it would destroy her if she did.  
 
The album closes with the aptly named “Good Morning, Good Night.” Avalon sings of living with a man whom she never really sees but is still hopelessly in love with. It marks a bittersweet end to the album, a feeling surely reflected by listeners as they realized the album was at its end.  
 
The lyrics of “Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell” read like a diary. By inviting listeners into her struggles, Avalon creates a space for people to reflect on their own life and realize they aren’t alone. Look out, Nashville! Avalon has more hits on the horizon.  

Willow Avalon. Photo courtesy of Whiskey Riff.