While she has retained her star status, most of the musical output from Martina McBride has felt stifled and boring (aside from the fun "Timeless" cover album) and more or less lacking in direction. With this in mind Martina decided to work with a new producer for the first time in her career. Trading Paul Worley for Dann Huff, Martina set about to make "Shine" an album that would rival her early records and "Timeless," a record she self-produced.
The album starts off with the kiss-off "Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong" which finds Martina singing a song that has an overall theme about living life, even when something happens that makes you feel like you don't want to anymore. It's a sunny glass half-full approach that melodically feels like a mix of 80s self-help pop and 90s country rhythms. With a title like "Sunny Side Up," you gotta know that the third track on "Shine" is going to have a positive message and similar outlook to the album's first track. Still what differentiates this future single (likely the 2nd one this summer) from "Wrong Baby..." is the Sheryl Crow-like jangly melody that suits Martina McBride (she co-wrote it with the Warren Brothers). It's a perfect song to remind people that life can still be fun, even in a tough economy.
A Martina McBride album isn't complete without a few crossover-ready power ballads and she provides them here in the form of "Walk Away," first single "Ride" and another future single "Where Do I Have To Go." These songs are juxtaposed with the twangy and bluesy "You're Not Leaving Me," one a handful of times where Martina gets playful and sounds completely refreshed.
"I'm Trying," "Wild Rebel Rose" and "Lies" are a trio of interesting story songs. Previously recorded as a duet by Diamond Rio and Chely Wright, "I'm Trying" is given a simple bare-bones approach that really suits this stellar story song about a couple's struggle with a man's alcoholism. "Wild Rebel Rose" opens up with some gorgeous Celtic fiddles and mandolin notes that provide the backing melody as Martina sings about a girl who has anything but an easy life. "Lies" has a haunting melody backing One of the best and most subdued vocals I've ever heard from Martina as she sings lyrics that can only be described as a string of "Lies."
With that great song ending the record, I have to think that the choice to switch Producers was a wise one as Dann Huff's pop sensibility suits Martina here and that makes for an interesting record. Not only does "Shine" rival her earlier touchstones like "Emotion" and "Evolution," it might just be the most complete album of her career.
0 Comments