Country/Review Verna Margaret - Fair Weather Wife
Originally from Virginia Beach and now based in Los Angeles, Verna Margaret draws from the timeless songwriting of John Prine and Emmylou Harris while channeling the inventive spirit of artists like Fiona Apple and St. Vincent. Her work has been praised by Wide Open Country, Holler, Americana Highways, and Rainbow Rodeo, with critics lauding her ability to fuse sharp, unexpected lyricism with a warm, soulful sound apt for a honky-tonk.
Verna Margaret enters the country scene with confidence with her EP, “Fair Weather Wife,” which combines classic music with incisive storytelling. Margaret, who is already well-known for her singles “White Shutters, Red Door,” and “Paper Cut,” solidifies her reputation as a writer who effortlessly strikes a balance between humor, heartbreak, and empowerment.
“Lookin Back,” the EP's final tune, takes a different approach to the traditional country love ballad. It celebrates lifelong love as an act of trust, confidence, and freedom rather than holding on to sacrifice or grief. The song feels both familiar and surprisingly forward-thinking, with traces of Tom Petty's Americana spirit and Patsy Cline's warmth. The song is elevated into a hymn of unwavering loyalty by Margaret's delicate yet calm vocal performance.
In other places, “White Shutters, Red Door” vividly depicts desire and lost connections, while “Paper Cut” uses dry humor to pierce deeply, comparing the anguish of grief to a little but enduring wound. The songs work together to weave a tapestry of emotional honesty that is always based in lived experience, whether it be wry or melancholy.
“Fair Weather Wife's” sonority combines subtle percussion, acoustic guitar, and pedal steel to highlight Margaret's voice. Intimacy is prioritized over gloss in the production, which highlights the songs' genuineness.
“Fair Weather Wife” feels more like a mission statement than an EP. Verna Margaret is an emerging voice in country music that is worth listening to because of her honest and uncompromising writing on love, sorrow, and self-awareness.