By: Jason Earle
Over the course of four EPs and six full length albums, Kelsey Waldon has established herself as an artist firmly in tune with herself as a writer yet not content with resting on her sterling reputation. With each record her pen has further flowered, culminating in this instance with an invigorating album that pays homage to country music’s past while forging toward a confessional, self-reflective, vulnerable brand of tunes that stands out even among many of her esteemed peers.
Given that she was introduced to a broader audience when she signed with the late, legendary John Prine’s Oh Boy Records in 2019, one would be forgiven for thinking Kelsey is relatively new to the music scene. On the contrary, she has paid her dues and the years of honing her craft jump out on Every Ghost.
The record opens with “Ghost of Myself,” which feels like “Waymore’s Blues” written by a person taking inventory of their various iterations and appreciating how each one led to this moment. Self-inventory can be daunting, and its expression through art a delicate balance between self-indulgence and vulnerability.
Waldon is able to pull off that rare feat. She opens her heart while kicking ass with her band. In a recent conversation for The Marinade podcast, she told me country albums from the late 70s and early 80s were rotating in her Comanche. To recognize such influence but not feel married to it leads the listener on a trip through the mind of an expert songwriter. Every Ghost is a Kelsey Waldon record- full of life lessons and high-level awareness wrapped in a honky tonk spirit.
(Every Ghost is available wherever you consume music on June 20, 2025.)