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Trisha
Yearwood - Jasper County (MCA Nashville)
Released: September, 2005
I'm an on-again, off-again fan
of country music.
Here's the way I see it: There's this big main street, and it's wherever
"what's currently popular" sits. These days, it's inhabited with Faith
Hill and Gretchen Wilson and Shania Twain. There are also those who are
way off on the side streets, down the "folk" road, where Kathy Mattea and
Mary Chapin Carpenter have gone. They used to be able to take a spin on
Main Street every now and then - if only to pay the bills. But for
whatever reason, my impression is that they're into the "art" of their
music too much to make hits.
Ms. Carpenter even goes so far as to make videos titled, "My Record
Company Made Me Do This," as if pleasing large numbers of people pisses
her off. That's fine. I still like her stuff, and the crowd who will fill
up Wolf Trap and the other cutesy venues still like her stuff; but it
would be nice to hear a rollicking good hit like "Down at the Twist and
Shout," or "I Feel Lucky" every now and then.
Which is a long way of saying, Thank you, Trisha Yearwood. Thanks for
remembering that country music encompasses a wide swath of music, from
darn near rock and roll to folk to blues. There's some Jazz in there, too.
And a couple of rollicking-good hits, thank you very much.
"Georgia Rain" is the first hit - released weeks before the album.
Expertly crafted, largely acoustic - one of those "every song tells a
story," 100-percent country tunes. "Sweet Love" has a Bonnie Raitt-styled
sound - and the hook sounds like hers, too - "It's not the gettin', it's
the wishin'/it's not the catchin', it's the fishin." Great fun!
Fasten your seatbelt for "Pistol," and "It's Alright," a pair of Al
Anderson (NRBQ) tunes. If you're in the car, watch the speedometer. You'll
want to turn it up, and drive faster.
Wide-ranging, all country - this album is a winner. Listen for Garth
singing backup.
Three microphones (out of four)
- Doug Boynton
(09/14/05) |
