Texas born and raised, musician Ranzel X Kendrick has incorporated his rich roots into his new album, Texas Sagebrush, the second of the 3-part Texas Series. From it is the single, “What A Pretty Day,” is a charming track that was a welcome introduction to Kendrick’s music. Singing with him is Rebecca White, who has been featured in some of Kendrick’s other work as well. The two have a great sound and what seems to be a lot of fun on “What A Pretty Day”. It’s an all-around joy to listen to.
“What A Pretty Day” is what the most infectious smile you’ve ever seen would sound like if it were a song. It is light-hearted and full of optimism, with gentle guitar riffs and lovely vocals. It feels like sunshine and new beginnings. I can’t get enough. I want to make this song my new anthem because it feels me with so much happiness. The track is fun and everything you could look for in a mood booster, with an uplifting message and a reminder that you can get through even the worst of days. I love songs like this, ones that exist to bring hope. It can always help to get some support, even if it’s only in a song.
Kendrick has a lovely voice that I could listen to all day, mostly smooth but with the tiniest bit of gravel to add a unique quality that matches beautifully with the music. White’s voice is light and lilting, with an air of mischief that adds another pleasant level to “What A Lovely Day.” I’ve never heard a song that sounds so perfectly put together with the vocals feeling this carefree and gentle. My favorite part is at the end, when White comments that the song sounded okay, to which Kendrick responds with, “Sounded pretty nice.” All I could think upon hearing that was, ‘You’re damn right it did!’
To be fair, it is a bit repetitive but without being annoying after a while. It really makes me think of Pixar films, oddly enough. Especially movies like Cars and Toy Story- both of them have songs related to them that are fairly similar in topic. Not to flaunt my inner Disney fan further, but it also made me think of The Lion King’s “Hakuna Matata” towards the end of the song, when the trio is strutting off and the music starts to fade. I won’t lie, these thoughts are what made me love the song more than I already did.
As a whole, I can’t find anything I don’t love about “What A Pretty Day.” It’s not a groundbreaking hit in the making, and it’s not something that changed my life, but it did make me smile and will continue to do so in the future, and that’s beautiful. Kendrick’s work is definitely worth taking a listen to, especially if you enjoy music that comes directly from the heart. I eagerly await Texas Sagebrush, Texas Cactus, and everything else Kendrick puts out in the future!
Victoria Patterson
