Self-released

***1/2

Almost ridiculously deft in finding new pathways between traditional country themes, her search for personal identity and a new vision of musical thought, Texas singer-songwriter Candace Hastings has created a wonderful showcase with the aptly titled SOFT PLACE TO FALL. Her songs have charm, leave a sensitive allure and while her voice isn’t whispery or powerful, it floats with an elaborate gentleness. She has a knack for couching her raw and remarkably candid lyrics in fuzzy, hooky songs that are as jagged as they are sensitive, to furnish a fresh take on era-defining country sounds with an ennuied yet free-spirited character. She effectively, with her own unique distinctive vocal timbre, embellishes gently and thankfully, no showboating,just a pristine style relaxed with passionate tone, confidence and clarity.

She uses sparse arrangements with understated splashes of keyboard (Chris Gage), fiddle (Denis Ludiker), and, especially, co-producer Lloyd Maine’s spiky electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin and Dobro, to add diverse shades to the sound, with co-producer Pat Manske (drums) and Glenn Fukunaga (bass) crafting subtle grooves. Both Horses I Left Behind and As Eagles Fly are inspired by her search for her Indigenous birth family and the lands her ancestors are from. Both are used as a metaphor for traversing not physical roads but human relationships. Candace has the rare ability to turn arcane information into winning tunes full of life connections and a sense of belonging.

The tender and ethereal Soft Place To Land is a charming, relatable song about seeking someone who will prove to hopefully be the person she needs. Rolling slow and easy she balances her own skills as a singer with a classic country and folk sound. Come Home is inspired by the sprawling Wyoming plains where she feels at home. Her intense lyricism about a partner who’s moved away, is sung with a vibrant casualness, her voice confident and unrelenting as she reaches out to her partner to return home. It’s Too Damn Hot initially sounds like a jubilant slice of gypsy jazz, Denis Ludiker’s fiddle sighing behind Candace’s jazzy vocal. The immediate wash of pedal steel guitar bathes you in twangy comfort as the musicians embrace the genre and their rootsy Texan origins, for a bigger, rambunctious sound. The melody of I Was That Woman has a little taste of 1990s Nashville, as she conjures up a classic sound that feels distinctly fresh and modern while also breaking your heart with the emotion she exudes. Rife with Americana grit, western themed lyrical content that dives deep and true, like the best poetry does, this is an album that proves to be an interesting listening experience.

https://www.candacehastings.com

June 2026