Local Review: Renée Mackin — The Bluest Bird

Renée Mackin
The Bluest Bird
Self-Released
Street: 08.22.2025
Renée Mackin = Joan Baez + Iris DeMent + Cass Elliot 

Renée Mackin’s The Bluest Bird is a folk album that blends the sounds of Americana-meets-classic-country with candid lyrics and the vivid scenes of rural Utah. Mackin is self-described as “a seasoned storyteller, a songsmith, a little machine with a mighty voice, a troubadour, as well as a poet with lyrics that can make you cry.” Naturally, then, each track is a gripping story paired with beautiful instrumentation. 

The album cover features what appears to be a hand-painted bluebird on a greenish-yellow background. Perhaps it’s even the “bluest bird I ever did see.” 

The album opens with “Ray’s Tavern,” which I found especially fun, not just for its sound or subject matter, but because, as I finish up this review, I actually drove through Green River earlier today, home of the real Ray’s Tavern. Now I’m starting to wonder if I need to make a pit stop on my way back home to experience “drinking a cool one down” at the Green River spot.

“River of Fire” features Phil Triolo playing clarinet throughout, which has to be one of the most gorgeous additions to any song on this album. Triolo’s sound rounds out the entire song, adding a depth to the music while complementing Mackin’s voice and lyrics beautifully. 

The album’s title track feels like poetry. Mackin’s voice is backed by guitar, violin, cello and bass as she paints the scene for the listener. Mackin gives directions, describing exactly where she can be found by someone she loved who never said goodbye. “I Remember You” focuses on a similar sort of grief — “Together we used to build those castles / Now I see how easily they fall / Castles as whimsy as a snowdrift / You know I never used to think of that at all.” 

“Alpenglow” is the album’s longest track, coming in at 5:44. It also has heart-wrenching lyrics, telling a story of Mackin finding comfort in the soft glow of the sun against the mountains after the loss of a loved one. “When the angels brought your wings, daylight was fading / My teardrops filled the open sky / I found peace in the palette of the sunset / In that moment when I felt your spirit fly.” 

“Bottom Side of the Down” has a Patsy Cline quality to it. The beginning instantly sent me back to my childhood and listening to “Walkin’ After Midnight” on the cassette player in my grandmother’s Chevrolet Lumina. “Tuscarora” is about the journey through the mountains that mirrors the ups and downs of life. Mackin reminds the listener to do “​​more than just mark time” but to look at and appreciate the world around them, as well as the journey ahead. 

Despite similarities and possible influences, Renée Mackin has a wonderfully unique style that doesn’t quite sound like anything I’ve heard before. I adore the soft twang of Mackin’s voice. It adds a layer of warmth to each song she sings and melds her lyrics of mourning with folksy instrumentals in a way I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. 

If you’re a fan of acoustic country or folk then Renée Mackin’s The Bluest Bird is absolutely worth a listen. Put it on, hop in the car and take a drive through Utah’s beautiful red rock desert for the full effect. While I do think nearly any album can be enjoyed a bit more through a car stereo in a beautiful place, Mackin does feel best enjoyed when you’re surrounded by the vividly-described sights and scenes from her music. —Margaret Pugh

Read more from Margaret Pugh:
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