ace

The song titles on this project from Ashley Cooke read like a list of phobias: There’s “gettin’ old,” “baby blues,” even “(my worst fear).” The country artist is fearless as a songwriter, though, speaking frankly about issues that, in particular, plague women in their mid- and late twenties. That’s clear on opener “gettin’ old,” a melodic and relatable account of feeling rudderless while trying to transition from adolescence into adulthood. There’s still room for playfulness, too, like on the double-entendre-heavy cut “the f word,” a rose-colored ballad that likens the idea of “forever” to a four-letter word. The “panic attack version” of “tin foil hat” finds Cooke at her most inventive, taking the wild-eyed imagery of conspiracy theorists and applying it to the all-consuming feeling of romantic jealousy and paranoia. As Cooke zigs and zags between hopes and anxieties, her nimble voice—reminiscent of Kelsea Ballerini or Megan Moroney—keeps the project grounded.