Stephanie Urbina Jones - Fiery Angel (2015)

If you find yourself yearning for an album that is positive, dynamic, hopeful and celebratory, then Stephanie Urbina Jones’ latest record ‘Fiery Angel’ fits the bill pretty well. The Texas native began her career on the other side of the music business, working for an artist management company in Austin before migrating to Nashville to become a songwriter. She signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and has since received cuts such as Lorrie Morgan’s ‘Shakin’ Things Up’ and Craig Wayne Boyd’s ‘My Baby’s Got A Smile On Her Face’, her own version of the former netting her a #1 on the Texas Music Chart (the first independent female artist to do so). But it was hardship that inspired her to write and record for herself, and ‘Fiery Angel’ emerged out of the ashes of a divorce, motherhood, remarriage, the closing of Equity Records (her label at the time), and a deeper delve into her own cultural heritage.

Born in San Antonio, Stephanie is descended from both Americans and Mexicans, and she was exposed to the traditional country music that was played around the house growing up as much as she was the mariachi band music from the Mexican immigrants her grandmother would help to house and integrate. During her period of soul-searching, Stephanie journeyed to Mexico to discover more of those Latin influences and cultures, and she fell in love with their positive thinking and party attitude. This is on display on the opening and closing tracks of the new record, beginning with the vacation-themed ‘Vamonos’ (which deftly strikes a perfect middle ground between country and Latin), and ending with the peppery hot ‘Revolucion’.

Much of the rest of the album leans more heavily towards country than it does Latin (with the exception of party anthem ‘I Wanna Dance With You’), but there’s something in Stephanie’s passion that means that influence is always there. It’s part of her musical make-up, even in the country pop Rodney Clawson co-write ‘Life’s Too Short’ and the feisty country rock number ‘Run Out of Road’. Much of the record’s subject matter focuses on rising above hardship and the empowerment that follows, although there are nods to the depths of heartbreak in the lovely Kris Kristofferson cover ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, the soulful ‘Rose In The Wreckage’, and beautiful redemptive centerpiece ‘Resurrection of My Heart’.

For the most part, however, Stephanie is looking forward, using this record as much for her own personal therapy as she is encouraging others. ‘Hold Me ‘Til The Lonelies Are Gone’, a solo write from the songstress, is hopeful in how it sees the light at the end of the tunnel, while the impassioned title track is a nod to a new lover. ‘He Reminds Me of Texas’ is both a tribute to her home state and a dedication to her new husband, a reminder that even in our darkest times, we never know what might be around the corner.

‘Fiery Angel’ is a career record for Stephanie Urbina Jones, an adept interpretation of her varying influences and a beautifully-penned journey through hitting rock bottom and rising above the flames. Thematically it really works, too, making it difficult not to resort to clichéd references to fire and heat, but it’s all relevant in a record that she has really taken her time over to get just right. It’s a great, fun listen, and I can imagine will help a lot of those struggling to make sense of being lost in the world. For Stephanie, there’s always a chance for things to turn around.

Tracklist:
1. Vamanos (Let's Go) (4:07)
2. Life's Too Short (2:50)
3. Hold Me 'til The Lonelies Are Gone (4:50)
4. Rose In The Wreckage (4:11)
5. The Resurrection Of My Heart (4:14)
6. I Wanna Dance With You (3:28)
7. Help Me Make It Through The Night (4:05)
8. He Reminds Me Of Texas (4:18)
9. Run Outta Road (3:34)
10. Fiery Angel (4:11)
11. Revolucion En Mi Corazon (3:28)
12. Bring It Back To The Heartland - Bonus Track (3:24)
13. This Is What Hope Looks Like - Bonus Track (4:28)