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Non-Prog CD Reviews

The Magnolia Janes

The Light Years

Review by Gary Hill

Based in Nashville, The Magnolia Janes features the vocal harmonies of Sarah Bonsignore and Ashley Riley. Those are the biggest selling point here. The whole set’s mix of music works well, though. As you might expect there is a country angle to a lot of this. Some of the tracks fit pretty tightly under that heading, while at other times the reference is more subtle. One thing that’s consistent here is that this is all accessible music that works well.


This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2026  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2026.

Track by Track Review
Stones on the Road

Cool country sounds are in the driving seat here. The vocal performance is the shining star of this thing.

Speed of Life

This is more of a ballad styled number. It’s classy stuff. I don’t think it’s as strong as the opener, though.

Goodbye to Lonely

Here we have more of a country pop number. It’s another classy tune.

The Sun in My Backyard

A pretty ballad is on the menu here.

Pretty Baby

Somehow this makes me think of The Carpenters a little. There are jazzy vibes here, and this is a highlight of the disc.

Running

More of a pop rock piece is on the menu here. This is all class.

Gotta Leave a Good Thing

This one also comes in along the lines of pop music less than country. It’s also particularly strong in its mellow ways. This is a standout on the disc.

Same Side

A ballad based mostly on piano and vocals, this is classy and effective.

The Light Years

The title track is more pop music based. Piano is a big part of the arrangement. It’s another classy number.

Five More Minutes

This number has a cool groove and lots of country and pop music merged into it.

This Old World

I dig the piano work on this a lot. The track has a rather soulful feeling to it, but also plenty of country music in the mix.  It’s another that lands on the ballad end of the spectrum.

 
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