Shelby Means | Shelby Means Review

by Tom Faddis

From the rolling high plains of Wyoming to the humid streets of Charleston, Shelby Means has spent two decades providing a steady bass line through the currents of bluegrass, folk, and Americana. Her debut solo record arrives as an inevitable bloom of her voice into the lead role. The self-titled album is a thirteen-song set of covers and originals with Means singing lead throughout.

Means’ is anchored by performers who give the record its unmistakable depth and warmth. Alongside Means on upright bass and vocals, the roster of collaborators reads like a hall of fame: Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Sam Bush, Molly Tuttle, and even Billy Strings lend their talents. In “High Plains Wyoming,” Joel Timmons’ duet with Means creates a dialogue that shows they share the same bluegrass landscape.

Producer Maya de Vitry, a Nashville-born multi-instrumentalist, has captured the ensemble with a natural aesthetic that allows each instrument to occupy its own space. Means’ vocals and bass are the tonal gravity that pulls the listener toward the center of the song. The production choices reinforce this ethos. Each solo, whether mandolin, fiddle, or dobro, is given space to breathe, allowing the listener to hear the individual timbre as if it were in a live setting.

In “Streets of Boulder,” the opening track, the bass feels like a heartbeat beneath Means’s authentic, warm vocal tone. When Molly and Kyle Tuttle’s vocals weave in, the sound shows the way a community of voices can shape a bluegrass narrative. The interplay between the players focuses on the music itself, and the result is noticeable in the way the voices and instruments make communal breaths.

Means’ voice is warm, imbued with the inflection of bluegrass and tempered country and Americana. On “Million Reasons,” her Americana-influenced vocals ground the melody, while “5 String Wake-Up Call” ascends into bluegrass and a traditional country revelation. This threaded new-grass flows through “Wild Tiger Style.” It is an introduction to the wide storytelling ability of Means’ vocal style. Even the brief, 1:38 “Calamity Jane” is a little wink to the listener, a brief interlude that is serious with a smile.

The record blooms with distinct vocal threads that both stand alone and entwine. Billy Strings adds vocal harmony to “Suitcase Blues,” while Ronnie McCoury sings his lineage‑rich layer elsewhere. Molly and Kyle Tuttle’s sibling harmonies are found in “Streets of Boulder.” Kelsey Waldon’s earthy voice grounds “Farm Girl,” and all the remaining vocal harmonies textures shaped by Sean Sullivan. Together, these voices create a shifting palette across the album.

Shelby Means is a debut album inviting country music fans to lean in and listen. It is an album that treats music as a compass pointing toward the heart of each song. The surrounding instruments act as a richly textured field to introduce Means’ vocals. It’s a collective pulse of tradition, and how all the participants form a larger, ongoing dialogue of bluegrass of today.

Artist: Shelby Means
Album: Shelby Means
Label: Shelby Means Bluegrass