Amanda Pearcy’s bluesy country-leaning Americana sound is served up by way of her hardscrabble history, authentically grounded in a raw and earthy, soulful voice. Testifying to her southeast Texas upbringing, with the region’s multicultural mix, its Gulf of Mexico coastline, and its shared border with Louisiana’s Acadiana, the songs on Pearcy’s second CD, Royal Street, carry a sense, and the sensuality, of the South, weaving themes of home, and its loss; love, both surrendered to, and longed for; the casting of spells; the ties that bind old friends; and our human experience’s collective memory. Her version of Jagger’s & Richards’ “No Expectations”, and a bonus track of the spiritual “Wish I’s in Heaven Settin’ Down” (often attributed to Mississippi Fred McDowell) are right at home with Pearcy’s 12 original compositions. Royal Street is a true album, a collection of songs that settle in for the ride through Texas to New Orleans and back again; the journey being a testament of life’s tougher lessons learned too young, and the insight that comes with getting to the other side of them.