2018 Contenders: Mary Goes To War

Mary Gauthier's new record Rifles & Rosary Beads may sound a little bit worthy on paper, but in practise it's a hugely engaging and emotive experience.

Mary has collaborated with American soldiers, veterans and their families to write a collection of songs based on their firsthand experiences. So we get honest, detailed and moving portrayals of life on the front lines and back home. Stand out tracks include Brothers, written from the perspective of a female soldier...

Wiped my face, changed my soaking bra
Told my body not to feel at all
Tried to be like you, What must I do
To prove that I'm a brother too?

Bullet Holes In The Sky from the perspective of a tired old veteran...

It's the 11th of November down in Nashville Tennessee
Free breakfast at the Waffle House if I show 'em my I.D
A parade up on the riverfront, you can hear the trumpets play
Hands on hearts, the colour guard kicks it off on Veterans Day

And they thank me for my service and wave their little flags
They genuflect on Sundays and yes, they'd send us back
But I believe in God and country and in the angels up on high
And in heaven shining down on us through bullet holes in the sky

And most moving of all, The War After The War, telling the little-heard story of a veteran's wife...

I get no basic training, I get no purple heart
I'm supposed to carry on, I can't fall apart
People look at you and thank you for the sacrifice you made
They look at me and smile and say I'm lucky you're okay

Invisible, the war after the war

Musically, the album reminds me of Springsteen's Nebraska in places; elsewhere it's more traditional Americana. It's a rich and rewarding listen throughout.