Already a seasoned performer and songwriter at age 19, Bella Mackenzie balances modern and classic country on her debut EP. Opening with some lonesome fiddle and a motor revving in the distance, the title track recounts the tale of a free spirit against stormy reverb and dirty rock riffs. “COWBOY” hits similar notes of rollicking release, complete with a breakout guitar solo. But those tunes only tell half the story of what’s going on here. Mackenzie grew up listening to evergreen country tunes in the coal town of Moranbah, Queensland, and those old-school influences can be heard in the warm honky-tonk leanings of “buy me a drink”. Also benefiting from a ripe pub setting, “WASTED” is a delicate duet with American singer LECADE that uses drinking to excess as a hopeful prompt for rekindled romance. Co-written with him and producer Jacky McCormack, it cements Mackenzie as a singer and songwriter who can ably update country music’s enduring subject matter for a new generation of fans.