Trail of Flowers

Trail of Flowers is the fourth full-length studio album by American singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell, released by Rounder Records on March 22, 2024, and distributed by Concord. The album received positive reviews from critics, who pointed to the blending of genres and time periods, starting with the bluegrass origins of Americana, but also exploring its derivatives.

Trail of Flowers
Studio album by Sierra Ferrell
Released	March 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)
Studio	Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Americana bluegrass old-time[1]
Length	37:36
Language	English
Label	Rounder
Producer	Eddie Spear Gary Paczosa
Sierra Ferrell chronology
Long Time Coming (2021) Trail of Flowers (2024)

"Seven years or so ago, my pride would get in the way. I just wanted to do it myself. But these days, it's more enjoyable and fun to write with other people."

—Ferrell on collaborating on Trail of Flowers^[2]

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing that "the record itself can play like an American dream: it's a freewheeling collection of country and folk, rooted in the past and winking at the future while being focused on the moment at hand".^[3] BrooklynVegan's Andrew Sacher praised the music for blending nostalgia with contemporary music sounds with "that perfect, enduring mix of a warm, modest, organic exterior, and songwriting that really pops".^[4] A profile of Ferrell for The Los Angeles Times by Erin Osmon praised the musician's growth but also noted that "the free spiritedness of her music—an uncommon blend of old-time bluegrass, country, ragtime, folk and jazz, anchored by her powerhouse vocals that by turns recall Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Bessie Smith—remains largely the same".^[5]

In No Depression, Maeri Ferguson called the album "a full-hearted collection of songs sung straight from the chest".^[6] Writing in Paste, Tom Williams scored this release a 7.5 out of 10, stating that it "draws inspiration from jazz, bluegrass and mid-century country, arriving detailed, lived-in and nuanced", with "an obvious charisma to this style of writing".^[7] In Spin, Stephen Deusner ranted this release a B+, stating that the music "is best when it stares down disappointment and disillusionment, regardless of whether Ferrell finds a reason to carry on" and that her exploration of American music styles and culture is augmented by "a generation of players steeped in old-time and bluegrass".^[8] In The Wall Street Journal, Barry Mazor praised the diverse backgrounds of the musicians and stated that "this collection stands to stick around".^[9]

Track listing

All songs written by Sierra Ferrell, except where noted.

1. "American Dreaming" (Melody Walker) – 4:17
2. "Dollar Bill Bar" – 3:29
3. "Fox Hunt" – 3:18
4. "Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County" (traditional)^[10] – 3:02
5. "Wish You Well" – 3:38
6. "Money Train" – 2:40
7. "I Could Drive You Crazy" – 3:36
8. "Why Haven't You Loved Me Yet" – 2:15
9. "Rosemary" – 3:36
10. "Lighthouse" (Lindsay Lou) – 3:39
11. "I'll Come Off the Mountain" – 1:45
12. "No Letter" – 2:21

Personnel

"American Dreaming"

• Sierra Ferrell – acoustic guitar, vocals
• Askel Coe – drums, percussion
• Oliver Bates Craven – gang vocals
• Thorleifur Gaukur Davidsson – steel guitar
• Lukas Nelson – backing vocals
• Joshua Rilko – gang vocals
• Mike Rojas – piano, celesta, vibraphone
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar, gang vocals
• Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo
• Melody Walker – backing vocals

"Dollar Bill Bar"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals

"Fox Hunt"

• Sierra Ferrell – fiddle, vocals
• Askel Coe – drums
• Billy Contreras – fiddle
• Oliver Bates Craven – gang vocals
• Joshua Rilko – gang vocals
• Mike Rojas – piano
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar, gang vocals
• Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo

"Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals

"Wish You Well"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals
• Askel Coe – drums, percussion
• Billy Contreras – fiddle, strings, arrangement
• Thorleifur Gaukur Davidsson – steel guitar
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar
• Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar, electric guitar

"Money Train"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals
• Askel Coe – drums
• Lukas Nelson – backing vocals
• Mike Rojas – piano
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar
• Chris Scruggs – acoustic guitar, hi-strung guitar, lap steel guitar
• Seth Taylor – baritone guitar

"I Could Drive You Crazy"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals, fiddle
• Askel Coe – drums
• Billy Contreras – fiddle
• Oliver Bates Craven – backing vocals
• Mike Rojas – piano
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar, electric guitar

"Why Haven't You Loved Me Yet"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals
• Aksel Coe – drums, percussion
• Oliver Bates Craven – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Mike Rojas – vibraphone
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Chris Scruggs – lap steel guitar
• Seth Taylor – electric guitar
• Melody Walker – backing vocals

"Rosemary"

• Sierra Ferrell – acoustic guitar, vocals
• Aksel Coe – drums, percussion
• Mike Rojas – organ
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar
• Seth Taylor – electric guitar

"Lighthouse"

• Sierra Ferrell – acoustic guitar
• Oliver Bates Craven – fiddle, harmony vocals
• Joshua Rilko – mandolin, harmony vocals
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar, harmony vocals

"I'll Come Off the Mountain"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals
• Aksel Coe – drums
• Billy Contreras – fiddle
• Oliver Bates Craven – backing vocals
• Mike Rojas – piano
• Geoff Saunders – bass guitar
• Chris Scruggs – acoustic guitar
• Melody Walker – backing vocals

"No Letter"

• Sierra Ferrell – vocals
• Oliver Bates Craven – acoustic guitar
• Joshua Rilko – mandolin
• Geoff Saunders – acoustic guitar

Additional personnel

• Paul Blakemore – audio mastering at CMG Mastering
• Nikki Lane – vocal harmonies
• Gary Paczosa – recording on "Lighthouse", mixing on "Lighthouse", additional production, production on "Lighthouse"
• Bobbi Rich – photography
• Eddie Spear – recording, mixing, production

Chart performance

Trail of Flowers reached 106 on the Billboard 200.^[11] In the United Kingdom, it placed on several charts, peaking at:^[12]

• 3 on Country Artists Albums Chart
• 12 on Americana Chart
• 56 on Album Downloads Chart
• 72 on Album Sales Chart
• 84 on Physical Albums Chart
• 87 on Scottish Albums Chart

Accolades

Trail of Flowers earned several awards—at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards, it won "Album of the Year", with Ferrell winning "Artist of the Year".^[13] At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was awarded Best Americana Album, with "American Dreaming" winning Best Americana Performance and Best American Roots Song, and "Lighthouse" winning Best American Roots Performance.^[14]

Year-end lists

Publication	Rank	List
Holler	7	The 25 Best Country Albums of 2024[15]
Rolling Stone	1	The 30 Best Country Albums of 2024[16]

See also

• 2024 in American music
• 2024 in country music
• List of 2024 albums

References

1. "Trail of Flowers - Sierra Ferrell". Rounder. Rounder. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2024. The album journeys from freewheeling bluegrass to heartrending old-time music to fantastically gritty honky-tonk and beyond.
2. Moss, Marissa R. (January 18, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell Wants to Disconnect on New Album 'Trail of Flowers'". Music > Music Features. Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (n.d.). "Trail of Flowers – Sierra Ferrell". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
4. Hatfield, Amanda (March 22, 2024). "Album Reviews: Waxahatchee, Adrianne Lenker, Julia Holter, more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
5. Osmon, Erin (April 1, 2024). "From hopping trains to crushing on Kimmel, Sierra Ferrell's roving country roots help her go places". Music. Los Angeles Times. ISSN 2165-1736. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
6. Ferguson, Maeri (March 19, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell Blazes Her Own Path Forward on 'Trail of Flowers'". Reviews. No Depression. ISSN 1088-4971. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
7. Williams, Tom (March 21, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell: 'Trail of Flowers' Album Review". Music > Reviews > Sierra Ferrell. Paste. ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
8. Deusner, Stephen (March 25, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell's Americana Rollercoaster". Spin. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
9. Mazor, Barry (March 27, 2024). "'Trail of Flowers' by Sierra Ferrell Review: Traditional Country Gets a Contemporary Twist". Arts & Culture | Music | Music Review. Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. OCLC 781541372. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
10. Willman, Chris (March 26, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell on Being a Roots Music Queen, Dueting With Zach Bryan, and Why She Got Floral With New 'Trail of Flowers' Album". Music > News. Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
11. "Billboard 200". Billboard. April 6, 2024. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
12. "Trail of Flowers – Sierra Ferrell". Official Charts Company. n.d. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
13. Nicholson, Jessica (September 19, 2024). "Sierra Ferrell, The Red Clay Strays & More Win at Americana Honors & Awards". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
14. "2025 Grammy Awards Winners List". The New York Times. February 2, 2025. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
15. Ross Jones (December 5, 2024). "The Best Country Music Albums of 2024". Holler. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
16. "Best Country Albums of 2024". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.

External links

• Trail of Flowers at Discogs (list of releases)
• Trail of Flowers at MusicBrainz (list of releases)