Justine Lynn - "I'll Leave The Porch Light On"

On the single “I’ll Leave The Porch Light On” by Justine Lynn, yes, there’s a truck. And there are tumbleweeds. A “tumbleweed heart”, in fact. And it’s not “ready to roll away”.

Lynn has a co-sign from Kyla Rawlyns of local country trio The Heels on her website prominently, and she’s bringing Dolly Parton power-ballad energy today. But also Shania power.

All that said, there’s one more thing that bugs me just a bit about the song. But then, it’s personal anecdote time:

Listen to Justine Lynn

The bass drum is so intense.

It sounds like it could have come from a metal album, or at least something harder than Nickelback.

Lynn’s previous single “Bad” breaks from a kind of 90s Backstreet Boys beat into upbeat country-pop. So, that doesn’t tell us why this bass drum is as massive as it gets on this song.

I digress.

I get what this song is about, but I’m not veteran enough to fully relate. My own anecdote for leaving the porch light on, is simply this:

I lived with my mother in Vancouver for my formative career years. Newly nineteen, I’d be out late all the time.

Last weekend I had to attend a gig, stay late, and come home — and I used to do that all the time. Back then, the porch light was always on. Thanks, mum! And it wasn’t even in a persevering way, looking to patch things up with a rebel child. It was help.

Now the experience of running around town gigging knocks me out a bit. Sometimes I must remember to leave the light on for ourselves, and I usually don’t.

Ain’t that the truth!

Justine Lynn, you can have your ballad and rock away into the night. Hope all’s well.