Carson McHone

[13] In September 2018, McHone performed at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee[14] In their review of her performance, Nowitsnashville magazine said "She possesses an beguiling wistfulness in slower songs that place her in a unique arena of Americana, but can present the same tongue in cheek observations that make country music so fun.

Filled with self-aware lyrics about McHone's history of heartbreak, this is the sound of an artist making peace with her own unrest.

"[16] Wide Open Country Magazine says "Sad starts off with a meandering sway with callbacks to "Tennessee Whiskey" before breaking off into a rolling mid-tempo gust.

"[17]American Songwriter Magazine described it as "a mid-tempo honky-tonk number built on pedal steel, fiddle, and a self-aware take on the hard luck heartbreak that often finds its way into such songs.

[19] On September 19, 2018, McHone released a cover of the Uncle Walt's Band song "Don't You Think I Feel It Too", which was written by David Ball.

The video for it premiered in Wide Open Country magazine where they described it as "an airy and light ballad with a fine and delicate touch to it.

The song premiered in The Boot Magazine, where they said "Paired with a hard-driving melody and Lone Star State-influenced country sensibility, McHone's smoky vocals shine on "Good Time Daddy Blues".

In describing it, they said, "Not all "done-me-wrong" country songs are slow, sad ballads as McHone proves with "Good Time Daddy Blues", a country-shuffle that chronicles the end of a relationship with confidence (and a healthy side of anger).

Like on the bare-bones, Gillian Welch-evoking "Spider Song", which closes the record, McHone knows it's the words that matter just as much as the packaging.

"[5] Loose Records in the UK signed McHone after her performance at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, in September 2018.

In their review of her show, Lonesome Highway magazine said "Playing solo and to a large crowd, the diminutive McHone silenced the crowd at Oslo to pin drop levels one song into her set and proceeded to complete one of the festival performance highlights with standout tracks from her new album "Carousel"[28] In their review of Carousel on May 5, 2019 Music Closeup said "With Carousel, McHone shows a reverence for traditional country sounds, but it's weaved with modern influences and production standards, and shrewd and worldly takes.