CAM MAYDAY ALBUM PROFESSIONAL

It, like so much else here, contains a digital sparkle that eludes chilliness: it's bright, open, and welcoming, perfectly complementing the warmth Cam exudes. Cam may sneer at a wannabe cowgirl on 'Country Ain't Never Been Pretty' but the sly joke is in the production: not only isn't there any twang to be heard, but all the swing comes from highly sequenced electronic rhythms. Sometimes the production - credited to Jeff Bhasker and Tyler Johnson, neither with longstanding Nashville associations ( Bhasker in fact has credits on pop hits by Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Lana Del Rey, and Fun.) - is so clean and snappy, it obscures how sturdily the songs are constructed, which is actually a plus.

Untamed splits the difference between the sharp balladry of the various Pistol Annies and the slyly forward-thinking production of Sam Hunt's Montevallo. It was an expertly executed launch for a debut that deserved nothing less. Recognizing a good thing when they saw it, the label worked Cam throughout 2015, releasing an EP called Welcome to Cam Country in the summer, letting its slowly simmering single 'Burning House' work its way into the country Top Ten, a big enough hit that it earned a Grammy nomination the week Untamed appeared in stores.

CAM MAYDAY ALBUM PROFESSIONAL

Prior to her 2015 debut, Untamed, she worked as a professional songwriter, landing credits on up-and-comer Maggie Rose's 2013 debut and Miley Cyrus' Bangerz, which was enough to help her land a deal with Arista Nashville. There's no mistaking Cam - the stage name for singer/songwriter Camaron Ochs - as anything other than a creature of the music business.

Cam mayday album