Ruthie Collins is the All-American, apple pie newcomer to country music who has a knack for love-themed storytelling. At least from her first work, Ruthie Collins EP, that is what we know about her so far. Ruthie has expressed a deeper identity though, stating that she considers herself ‘old fashioned.’ That is exactly what you experience once you press play and begin listening to the first track of her EP.
Ruthie starts off talking about “that something to believe in thing,” in her first track “Heartstrong.” Focusing on the lyrics, the song takes you on a journey from that moment you begin to understand yourself, to the moment you realize that the world will never see you through your eyes. According to Ruthie’s melodic tune, strength in the heart enables you to “find a way to carry on.” It’s not just a song about strength, but also self-determination that leads to success. The next song and single from the EP, “Ramblin Man,” begins with a seemingly drunk male voice beckoning in expression of his love for a woman. Then, Ruthie, in her identifiable fashion, begins to tell his story; a story of a ‘ramblin man.’ The chorus to the song says, “He says I love you baby / But you gotta understand / When the Lord made me / He made a rambling man.” With the male voice beckoning throughout the song and the upbeat chorus, this song is perfect.
Next Ruthie Collins sings of an encounter with an ex-lover that caught her off guard. And since we’ve all been there, “Get Drunk and Cry,” is one of those songs that you’ll listen to when you’re sad, even though you know it’ll just make you feel worse. But Ruthie has a solution, sort of, as she sings “I’m gonna get drunk and cry / And lock myself in the bathroom /With a bottle of wine / I wasn’t supposed to see you / So just walk on by, don’t look me in the eye/ Just let me be a mess tonight / I’m gonna get drunk and cry / but I’m gonna be alright.” Well, sounds good to me.
“Ready to Roll,” is an ode to country living with the ideal man by your side. Melody takes the lead in this song and Ruthie perfectly yodels the words ‘ride’ and ‘I.’ Paired with her simplistic vocals, the song is a flawless melodic eargasm. Next, Ruthie is a good girl gone bad in “Trainwreckin.” In the upbeat song about a night out, the lyrics says “Well I tore at the door / Off my bedroom closet / Grabbed that little black dress / And I damn sure donned it / the hangers were flying / the neighbors came checking, they said / Oh dear Lord / She going, trainwreckin.”
Then, just like the old-fashioned person Ruthie Collins claims to be, she goes “Vintage” in a song about family heirlooms. A chair from her mother, a ring from a grandmother and a guitar from dad all represent timeless love. In the song she expresses that she wants a timeless love like the timeless items she owns. In the song, she sings “I want to love you until our love is vintage.” The short song ends in a beautiful last utterance of the word ‘vintage.’ And that word is the perfect way to describe this album.
With a simple voice that graces over difficult, melodic runs effortlessly, Ruthie is a great singer. Her songs are the perfect example of ‘chick music,’ and any girl can easily find herself locked in a room with booze, weeping over an old love while playing this EP. The only downside is that it’s an EP, as after the last track, you’ll find yourself wanting more. Ruthie Collins EP is a breath of fresh country air in a time where contemporary country rules the air waves.