Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Hayley Jensen, Social Family Records 2021.
Hayley Jensen is set to release her fourth studio album on 6 August and, beginning in late July, is heading out on an extensive tour taking in most of the eastern seaboard.
Halyey has been around the Australian country music scene for approaching 20 years, racking up a series of chart successes and awards in that time and this album has already been productive for her prior to release.
She’s achieved multiple number ones and top 10s in the country charts for the four singles released so far: Just Gonna Party,Fireworks, Breakin’ Hearts and the latest single Karma.
Breakin’ Hearts and Karma reached number one in the Australian Country charts and have been added to country music play lists in the US and Canada so the album is certain to become her most successful to date.
The album production has been shaped by COVID and spanned two continents and three countries with Hayley rating it as the most enjoyable creative process of her career.
This album is an up-tempo and positive record that crosses over from country to the mainstream pop charts and the production qualities are excellent.
Haley achieves this without the album having that trademark Nashville country sound which makes for a pleasant change.
She has two guest performers on the disc, Beccy Cole joins her for the final track, a beautiful ballad called Angel, and Clayton Bellamy of The Road Hammers duets on the saucy Four Boots.
I’ve often commented that country music is a very broad church these days and Breakin’ Hearts is definitely aimed at having a boot in both the mainstream and country charts.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the singles Karma and Breakin’ Hearts both chart in the top 40 and I suspect the album will feature heavily during the awards period in Tamworth.
