To promote the release of her latest album, “He’s Crazy,” on June 17, Ashley Jordan and her equally talented backup musicians filled the second floor of the Harvard General Store with stories of coming of age, confrontations, and courage.
Ashley Jordan. (Courtesy photo)
Whether Ashley delivers her lyrics with arresting vulnerability or snarling ferocity, her skill as both a performer and a songwriter prove her a force to be reckoned with. Accompanied by producer, backing vocalist, and guitarist Joe Merrick, drummer Marc Sherman, guitarist Alex Sennett, and bassist Kevin Nelson, the overall sound is rich and potent—a quality to rival any big-name band. Such sound, accompanied by Ashley’s nonchalant rocker vibe and eye-catching platinum blond hair, gives the overall presentation a near heavy-metal feel that can only be experienced live.
Opening with the undulating riff of “Lone Wolf,” a hard-hitting song that immediately demands (and triumphantly receives) the audience’s attention, Ashley’s voice possesses the quivery-yet-with-conviction nature reminiscent of Jewel. That is, until the chorus comes in, which she belts out all while furiously strumming her guitar and deftly stepping to the beat, as though the song itself has held her captive. The song ends with the abrupt bang of the cymbal. Ashley breaks a smile. “How you guys doing tonight?” she asks. In a millisecond, her presence shifts from cool and collected to approachable and self-deprecating. But she’s just warming up. Throughout the concert, Ashley stops to talk of her connection with the songs: how a man who looked as if he came straight out of an “Alaskan Bush People” TV episode once drunkenly rambled on that “Short Fuse” reminded him of his ex-wife; how “So Far Gone” would be making an appearance in the upcoming film “Soldier’s Promise,” which tackles the issue of PTSD; and how “Come Home” was performed at a friend’s wedding.
Mature subjects, vocal talent
In all of her songs, Jordan shows not only depth and maturity in her choice of subject matter, but also a range of vocal talent. In “Come Home,” her voice is slightly sultry while never losing the song’s sincerity. In a ballad that she dedicated to the late singer-songwriter Christina Grimmie, she belts out a little and then backs off—the song continues to ebb and flow like a tide edging closer to some sort of threshold of destruction. In “Smoke on This Gun,” the warlike drums and her steady chord progressions build up as she asserts herself in a barroom scene, singing, “He should know that I’m in charge.” In the song “In Spite of You,” she uses her coat of arms motto “When struck down, I will rise again” as her driving force.
That’s not all. Beyond her hometown where she was raised and attended the Bromfield School, Ashley has won the admiration of Boston Radio Mix 104.1 (WBMX). From June 20 to June 24 at 7:40 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., 10 of her original songs from her latest album will be featured on the station. Said Jordan of her Saturday night performance, “It’s wonderful to perform in my hometown … I was born and raised here, and it’s an incredible energy to bring my hometown friends and family together with some of my fans from farther away. This past Friday night was the first of many album-release shows for my brand new album called “He’s Crazy.” Everyone at the show really enjoyed the vibe of the Harvard General … it’s a really laid-back and comfortable venue so it made for a really fun evening! We had people from as far away as Ohio and New York City who attended the show. So that was really cool!”
Without a doubt, Ashley has found her power as a lyricist and a musician, and she wields it with great finesse.
Chase Peters is a 2016 Bromfield graduate.
