The Order Of Time (2017)

A beautiful deep dive into the soulful Tennessee soundscape of Valerie June. The Order Of Time serves as a rumination on life, love, and death; all packaged into short songs that aim to heal and bring about acceptance. June had previously reached audiences collaborating with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys on 2013's Pushin' Against A Stone. And while that record is good, this one features songs written entirely by her with softer and more intimate production from producer Matt Marinelli. Featuring songs that span around a decade, this record feels like a clearer picture of June as a person as well as what influences her.

Genre-wise, The Order Of Time isn't locked into one particular style; moreso influenced by the greater sound of Tennessee and all of its musical offerings. June's immediately recognisable voice is close to the high-register nasal singing of early black folk and country artists, particularly Elizabeth Cotten. But she can pull off an emotional range going from troubled on the bluesy "Man Done Wrong", to lovesick in the spry acoustic tune "With You", to doe-eyed longing on the beautiful "Slip Slide On By". This cut in particular highlights the tasteful production that Marinelli brings in, with a really beautiful build up of instruments that eventually explodes into a bright chorus of horns. Aiming toward the sky while June grows more confident in her acceptance of a slumping romance.

A lot of the power in the music comes from the simplicity of June's songs. They usually have tried-and-true progressions with minimal chord changes and clear A and B parts. Her guitar playing is decidedly unobtrusive which allows for her session band and Marinelli to fill in the space with equally simple yet well played lines. The production is also more reverb-soaked than her Tennessee contemporaries, lending the joyful tracks a feeling of grandeur and the sadder cuts a hollowed and distant sound. Pair that with the modesty of the music and sometimes you even get meditative soundscapes like on "If And". This would signal her move into spacier production on her next record but I think it works best here as it's not so front-and-center, the performances are what I came for after all.

I think another thing that makes this album so replayable for me is how it wraps back in on itself. Not musically, but thematically. The first track describes June's upbringing, which leads into the more troubled first side. But things get progressively sweeter on the second side until it all ends with the celebratory "Got Soul", in which June ruminates on the core that has helped her get by through tough times. Her unwavering soul. I love this album, it's one of my favorites and continues to give on each play. The healing tunes, the light production, the personal yet universally relatable themes. Just like the lengthy time it took June to build up this repertoire of songs, I will be enjoying this one for years to come.