There are artists for whom songwriting feels like catharsis, and Caylee Hammack is absolutely one of them. The clue is right there in “Breaking Dishes.” “Burn me once, shame on you,” she warns, before adding, “Burn me twice, and I’ll burn you.” Whoever that’s aimed at would be wise to watch their back.
Having seen Hammack support Scotty McCreery in the spring, the first thing that struck MV was her voice—expressive, elastic, and an instrument in its own right. But her talent doesn’t stop there. She’s a songwriter of rare skill, crafting work that manages to be both traditional and modern, as “Bed Of Roses” proves.
At times, she sounds fragile, weighted with regret, like on “What My Angels Think Of Me,” a track that wrestles with the guilt of letting others down. Then there’s “Back Again,” which feels painfully real, as Hammack sings about falling for a friend and dealing with the emotional fallout. (Not something MV knows much about…ahem!)
Cowboys might not be our area of expertise either, but there’s a troubadour spirit running through “Mamas” that captures that world perfectly. Elsewhere, “No I Ain’t” has all the honesty of a late-night note to yourself, written at 3am in a moment of shaky resolve. “The Hill,” by contrast, has a gentle folk touch and a lift that lingers long after it ends.
What Hammack does so cleverly is find fresh angles on familiar stories. If Paula Abdul still holds the crown for the ultimate opposites-attract anthem, then “The Pot And The Kettle” isn’t far behind. “Bread And Butter” brings funky fun that recalls The Cadillac Three, while “Cleopatra” haunts like a ghost and “How Long” radiates tender soul.
There’s rugged beauty in her work, too. “Oh Kara” lays bare scars with a raw honesty, while “Tumbleweed Men” suggests that old mistakes might not be finished with her just yet. And throughout it all, the instrumentation shimmers—sometimes delicate, sometimes full-bodied, always perfectly judged.
Being a singer-songwriter is always an act of bravery, but to write so nakedly in the first person raises the stakes even higher. On “Bed Of Roses,” Hammack does it brilliantly, thorns and all.
