Jon Pardi : Rancho Fiesta Sessions Review

Jon Pardi is a country singer from a small town in Northern California. Last year, Pardi signed with the legendary EMI, home to recording artists as varied and successful as Frank Sinatra, Garth Brooks, and Keith Urban. Pardi has shared the stage with Pat Green, Dierks Bentley, and has opened for Luke Bryan’s “Spring Break” tour and Eric Church “Blood, Sweat and Beers” tour. He has just finished the final touches on his debut album. Pardi’s first single will be hitting radio stations nationwide this Spring. Pardi has dropped Rancho Fiesta Sessions, an eight-song covers EP, via Capitol Nashville. The album covers artists from Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, George Strait, Joe Diffie, Keith Whitley, Tom Petty, to Prince. “Surprise! I recently recorded eight classic songs from a bunch of my musical heroes,” Pardi shares on social media. “We recorded everything on my ranch out in my shop. Had an awesome time putting this all together and hope y’all love it. The Rancho Fiesta Sessions is here!!!”

“The Bottle Let Me Down” opens the set with a slick pedal steel. Pardi’s traditional country style serves the melody well with his southern draw and traditional country resonance. The band is full of sounds, and the violin and pedal steel deliver fantastic fills. This is a fun track that all country fans will already know, and Pardi’s take is interesting and will add to the playlist.

“Nothing Compares 2 U” is a surprise track, and Pardi’s singing of the melody is impressive. The arrangement has fascinating twists and turns, including a saxophone solo! How often do you get that in country music? The vocal backgrounds are well-executed. Pardi’s upper register singing is intense, full in weight, and his pitch control is impressive.

Pardi shows his versatility on Rancho Fiesta Sessions, his singing is impassioned, and the band is outstanding. The choice of tunes has an enjoyable flow, and the diversity of instrumentation gives the album many sounds to enjoy. Pardi’s ability to change his vocal sound based on the artist he is covering is a nice touch. Overall, Rancho Fiesta Sessions has a lot going on for it and will add to the country collection.

Jon Pardi: Website