Kendall Beard sings with a breathless urgency, which complements her songwriting on sophomore LP Here Comes Trouble through highlights “Ready to Roll,” “Run While You Can,” and the anthemic “Rock This City.” The songwriter’s Love & Chaos partner AJ Vallejo delivers surefire contemporary country production to match Beard’s big and defiant sound as she shoots for the mainstream spotlight, even as the album’s second half drops into trite pop-country (“Johnny and June,” “Southern Bell”). And for all her bite, Beard doesn’t leave much of a mark, leaning too heavily into the expected modern radio fare to actually stand out.

**

This article appears in December 14 • 2018.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.