Album Review: Miss Leslie – Wrong is What I Do Best

The sprightly, spunky opening chords of Miss Leslie’s album Wrong is What I Do Best signal a new burst of energy from the Lone Star State singer, manifested throughout with song after song of Texas two-steps, undulating waltzes and old-school kiss-offs.

Miss Leslie, born Leslie Anne Sloan, boasts a clear, crisp voice that cuts straight to the chase of a variety of honky-tonk truths. Highlights such as “I Need Me (A Lot More Than I Need You)” and “I Can’t Live With You, But I Can’t Love Without You” sound like the love children of Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette catalog classics, representing an age-old, precarious battle between female independence and second-chance love.

While the album ends with a duet with Jason Allen, Miss Leslie’s best duet partner is the steel guitar, a pairing that shines on the pleading “Turn.” Similarly, from moaning fiddle solos to driving Johnny Cash-esque guitar riffs, the instrumental backing for each song is carefully chosen to complement the singer and the song. These details–even the seemingly mundane ones –are also present in Miss Leslie’s songwriting, and help to make standout “Every Tuesday Night” charmingly reminiscent of Keith Whitley’s “Ten Feet Away,” only reversed and unrequited.

Still, despite these mostly shining examples of high-impact traditional country tunes, there are moments on Wrong is What I Do Best that begin to plod and sag under their own old school, honky-tonk weight. Additionally, Miss Leslie’s voice is so strong and authoritative that over-the-top material such as “She Gave Up on Herself” and “Some Things They Can’t Take Away,” the only song on the record not written by the artist, can uneasily jump back and forth between empowering and overwrought.

As Miss Leslie continues to fine-tune her musical fingerprint, it’s exciting to watch her develop as one of traditional country’s most authentic and talented performers. At its worst, Wrong is What I Do Best can be melodramatic and retro, but shines as a premier slice of unadulterated country music at its best.