Bless My Heart, a five-song EP by Cady Groves, got released last Friday (May 29), less than four weeks after the 30-year-old Nashville singer-songwriter's May 2 death.
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A cover of James Blunt's "Bartender" plus four Groves co-writes capture the story-driven blend of country and pop that Groves had in store for future releases on Thirty Tigers.
A reprise of 2015's "Crying Game" stands out for its brutal honesty, as some of its lyrics reflect the real-life deaths of two of Groves' brothers-- Casey Groves died in 2007 at age 28, while Kelly Groves, also age 28, passed away in 2014.
"Vulnerable" gets tossed around too much when applauding songwriters' honesty, but "Crying Game" really is a warts-and-all telling of a young woman's Hell-on-Earth experiences.
Groves tells coming of age tales with the title track and "Cigarettes and Sunsets" while the other new song, "Camo," deals with matters of the heart.
Overall, what ended up being a posthumous release by Groves shines light on the sorts of stories told by young Nashville artists raised on emo and pop yet drawn toward the rich lyricism at the heart of country music.
Groves, an Emporia, Kansas native, began her recording career with the EPs A Month of Sundays (2009) and The Life of a Pirate (2010).
From there, she landed a deal with RCA Records and toured in 2010 with the likes of Third Eye Blind, Good Charlotte and All Time Low as part of the Bamboozle Road Show.
Collaborators over the years include the late country producer and songwriter busbee, county hit-writer Shane McAnally and Americana tastemaker Jim Lauderdale, plus Savan Kotecha, Kristian Lundin and Carl Falk. Additional projects included groups The Ready Set and Plug In Stereo.
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Noteworthy songs by Groves include "Oil and Water," "Crying Game," "This Little Girl," "Forget You" and "Love Actually."
The Groves family reported upon Cady's passing that no foul play was suspected, with coroners verifying that she died from natural causes.
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