Gabby Barrett's big break arrived in 2018, when she placed third on the 16th season of American Idol. During her time on the show, she was positioned as a country singer, performing songs by
Maren Morris,
Carrie Underwood,
Miranda Lambert, and
Miley Cyrus, and there are indeed echoes of these influences on
Goldmine, the splashy major-label debut she released in the summer of 2020.
Goldmine isn't strictly limited by genre, though. While a good chunk of it is grounded in country -- there are songs about heartbreak, Jesus, and mama, all set to grinding arena-rock guitars and strummed acoustic instruments -- everything is draped in a digital gloss designed to appeal to a number of different demographics.
Barrett navigates the subtle changes between country, adult contemporary, and R&B-flavored pop well, modulating her consciously accentuated twang according to the style of music. Some of this has to do with how she had a hand in writing every song on
Goldmine but its title track; she has a good handle on her image. As professional as
Goldmine is, the seams can be slightly too apparent. It's clear she's gunning for big crossover hits, to the extent that the sound can overwhelm such niceties as melody. The focus on the overall package, though, is also the album's appeal: It's a debut that's selling a persona as much as its songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine