"On their first three albums, Mark Utley and Magnolia Mountain set out to prove just how diverse one band can be, mastering pure bluegrass, straight country, rocked-up Americana and swaggering rockabilly, with touches of twangy gospel prayers and tangy Cajun spices. With Beloved, their fourth outing, Utley and the freshly retooled Magnolia Mountain concentrate on the Americana end of the spectrum with an emphasis on the blues and rock aspects of their sound, resulting in a wonderfully dark and driving album that details the various shades of bruising caused by every relationship. The diversity on Beloved comes from the songs themselves, from aching ballads to ballsy rockers, and in their presentation, as Utley occasionally stands down to allow longtime vocalist Melissa English and new voice Renee Frye to take the mic and the lead spotlight. Beloved is smolderingly intense even in its quietest moments, positively incendiary when it's amplified and very likely to be the album that takes Magnolia Mountain to the next level." - Brian Baker, CityBeat
