Album Review // Abby Badach Doyle // That'll Show 'Em

Self-Released

Bold, soulful folk and alt-country never sounded so good from Pittsburgh's Abby Badach Doyle. Formerly of Erie, Doyle served as one-third of Gem City Revival, northwest Pennsylvania's much-loved folk trio (while she also happens to be one of the Reader's earliest contributing writers). Recognized for their virtuosity, intelligence, and authenticity, it's no wonder how Doyle forged the framework to compose an EP like this, with tones and lyrical illustrations painting a sepia snapshot of a Rust Belt community reckoning with a new, more West Coast identity. With explicit references to Modesto, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana, each track on the six-song debut showcases its own personality like an actor's headshot, complete with idiosyncrasies and facets worth examining. You can practically hear the tumbleweeds rolling in on the opening track "High Road," with just one of the many blistering guitar solos that really take the album to the next level.

Her collaboration with the Wild Rambles (including her husband and Gem City alum Patrick Doyle), Mark Omiatek, Jeff Stempka, and Mark Cimaroll end up being even more than the sum of their already-valuable parts. The second track "Great Escape" offers a rootsy composition fit for the best of the Dust Bowl. The opening fiddle line of "Modesto" showcases Doyle's accomplished playing and serves as one of if not the most catchy (and pop-forward) tracks on the record. The spartan recording of "Good Now" gives a pastiche of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska with some much-needed levity and realness, unsurprisingly getting my award for favorite track.