The gilded chords that open up Casey Ahern’s “Just a Dance” are as warm as a sunrise, as crisp as a freshly picked apple, and just supple enough to appeal as much to pop fans as they would country twang diehards who are in desperate need of an all-American pick-me-up this September. Slowly but surely, Ahern ascends an enormous hook with masterful precision, showing off her well-appointed skillset whilst expanding upon the sound that she introduced to us in her rookie release. The magic is off the charts by the time we get into the second half of the track, and if you haven’t already guessed as much by now, it finishes us off with just as brooding a statement as it begins with. “Just a Dance” is a simple, barebones country song with an especially toned foundation, and even if you’re not the biggest Nashville fan, this is one single that I would tell you to pick up on the strength of its charismatic harmonies alone.
The production quality here is sterling, but I think it’s important to note that it doesn’t seem particularly vital to the core energy the song produces on its own. Ahern’s vocal is prominent in the master mix, but it doesn’t really need any help from behind the soundboard; it’s already so movingly raw and unfiltered that, frankly, to add anything else would be to overproduce this single altogether.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/casey_ahern/?hl=en
Her voice was clearly born to take the stage (and rule it), and much like the similarly skillful W.C. Beck, we’re only able to get a glimpse into what her live performances would sound like through studio sessions like the one that produced this marvelous track. While it’s not the best way to experience her sound, there’s no trumping the sheer sonic presence that Casey Ahern has got in “Just a Dance,” and moreover, everything that she has recorded in her career so far. There’s still some room for growth, but comparative to many of the other country singers I’ve been reviewing as of late, she’s by far the best of the bunch.
I wasn’t remarkably familiar with the past works of Casey Ahern, but I definitely plan on keeping a close eye on her progress as she embarks on this next stretch of her journey to superstardom. Along with the fact that she has a lot of crossover appeal that she’s tapping into beautifully in “Just a Dance,” she’s got an old fashioned Nashville vocal style that could make anyone, cowboys and critics alike, weak at the knees. Only time will tell for sure, but if this single has just a smidge more success than her last couple of releases have, she’s going to be well on her way to getting a level of praise from the mainstream that any artist would be pleased to receive.
I-TUNES: https://music.apple.com/us/album/just-a-dance-single/1477498327
Ahern has the right stuff to go far in this business, and when taking into account her age and experience, you couldn’t ask for much more in a promising young star.
Jodi Marxbury