CD Review Amanda Cooksey – In Denial
by Antony Bailey for Country Music News International
Amanda Cooksey, once voted as a ‘’One to watch’’ songwriter by the Nashville Songwriters Association has recently released ‘’In Denial’’ and is sure to be a hit with her growing fanbase and attract attention far beyond the southern states of the United States. The song certainly offers something different to the pop country scene as it pushes the traditional boundaries that perhaps wouldn’t have described the song as country in the past. ‘’In Denial’’ from a musical perspective has been approached in a delicate way as the stripped back instrumentation along with a 6/8 meter and relatively slow tempo often leaves room for reflection and presents an opportunity to express and deliver a romantic, powerful, and heartfelt story. ‘’There’s no clouds or rain, just sunny days’’ is something most people need off the back of adversity and we all know music is much better in the sunshine.
In this sense, Amanda Cooksey’s new single is ultimately about being in denial and suffering from the woes of a broken relationship. ‘’I wear my shades and a smile on my face’’ and ‘’aint no sad songs on the dial’’ is depicting the actions we take for our own self-preservation by becoming evasive and avoiding anything that might trigger negative reactions and experiences we have been through. The music video is a prime example where she is on the beach pretending to be carefree while she lives her best life.
The single empowers listeners with whom it resonates and certainly fits within the ‘’Positive vibes only’’ category as it aims to empower and heal those who are able to share similar experiences. I expect there is a lot more to come from song-writing graduate Amanda Cooksey in the future as she continues to fly the flag for the ever-expanding pop country scene and sheds light over a genre that is constantly reinventing itself and continues to attract interest from around the world.