Ball of Wax 49 Songs: Caroline Keys – “Dance Wax”

Proper steel guitar from a Montana country artist sets the scene for this tasteful, gentle seduction without promise of tomorrow song. An understated but damned polished arrangement, Caroline Keys‘s “Dance Wax” feels rooted to a place, with honest small town imagery. “I saw you shaking out the salt, making it easier to walk,” says a lot. It’s good songwriting. Leading to the refrain command “Sway, just sway.” If you have time to listen to this a few times, it pays dividends. The composition and dynamics alone are a kind of masterclass in subtle country folk.