Album Review – "Stronger Than The Truth" by Reba McEntire



[ad_1]

photo: Robby Klein

No matter how far away, no matter where your heart goes, country music is always there for you. It's like a compass, like the smell of your grandmother's kitchen or those old, familiar buildings in the heart of your hometown. No matter how chaotic the world becomes and the speed with which time accelerates, these constants are immune to progress, giving you the ability to reset and slow down in the face of warming. The sound of country music is comforting because you can count on it. And he will welcome you home whenever you are ready to return to your life.

As true as it is for the followers of country music, so are its practitioners. From albums of contemporary adult songs to multi-season sitcoms bearing his name, Reba McEntire's celebrity has swelled its boundaries far beyond the country's borders and its financial well-being has long been assured. Her place in the rotunda of the Country Music Hall of Fame is struck and she is one of the few artists to be able to use "Queen" next to her name. Reba McEntire has no interest in recording a solid national record at this stage of his career. But she did it anyway because she wanted it. And this sense of deliberate passion and artistic freedom is reflected in the twelve songs inspired by Stronger than the truth.

First and foremost, Reba McEntire's thirty-third studio album is a break-away record, and not one where fictional notions come to life through country music cosplay as tears of whiskey create the best atmosphere for real country songs. Stronger than the truth After 26 years of marriage with guitarist and steel steel guitarist Narvel Blackstock, Reba took over from Reba. For a quarter century, Reba and Blackstock were not only life partners, they ran all of Reba's activities. And whether it's Reba's pen that makes up the stories or someone else's, it's this heartfelt tearing that loads the ink composing this disc and forces the ear to the listening.

Reba has promised the biggest country music album of her career, and she will definitely deliver Stronger than the truth. But do not pretend that traditional records by country are a rare phenomenon, resigned mainly to the vestiges of the past. It's not because something is real that it's really good. Yes, it's true, song after song, Reba McEntire and producer Buddy Cannon deliver the beautiful traditional country products Stronger than the truthand it may be something very special coming from someone who has the weight behind his name, such as Reba McEntire. But the music is not what makes this album special. It's the songs and stories, and of course the voice of Reba's Hall of Fame.

Reba does not spend time messing around. Right out of the door, she launches an essentially instrumental Western Swing issue called "Swing all night with you". And it's not one of those Nashville-style approximations to Western Swing. Remember, Reba comes from Oklahoma, where Bob Wills is still king. At the top of the steel instead of his pedal – loaded predecessor, that 's Western Swing done well. And there is not one, but two of these songs, with "No U in Oklahoma" co-written by Reba herself, constituting perhaps one of Western Swing's best original songs to come out of recent memory.

You'll be better off having fun with these tracks, as most of the other advances are slow and downright ruthless in their exploration of deepest sorrows. "Stronger Than The Truth", "Storm in a Shot Glass" and perhaps the pre-eminent title of the album, "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain", evoke an unwritten encapsulation of Reba McEntire's recent years, presented with incredible honesty, even if they come from the pen of others. Country songs that list other country songs are not hard to find. But you forget all the others once "Tammy Wynette, kind of pain" arrives on the speakers.

And when you think that this album can not be more devastating, here is "Cactus In A Coffee Can". At this point, Reba shows no quarter on your emotional receivers. It was as if she had asked the entire Nashville music community to find the most moving story in the world, and then she had launched it with a violin trip that would not fail to leave her eyes dry. "The Bar & # 39; s Getting Lower" could have been the finalist of this derby, refusing to deliver a happy ending, with "The Clown" for the bronze, highlighted by a little piano melody that makes it even more difficult to to hold together. It's as if Reba was trying to act as a counterbalance to all the silly and joyful songs sent along the conveyor of Music Row. Even with their incredible volume, the scale could still turn in favor of Reba.

Given the discussions on the quality of this album, it is probably fair to point out that some titles such as "In His Mind" and "Freedom" are a bit more contemporary. But it suits you because these are good songs and Reba could not represent herself precisely without also including these influences. Overall, one of the highlights of the album is variety, even with healthy portions of slow, heartbreaking pieces. Western Swing melodies grace the listening and the last song "You Never Gave Up On Me", dedicated to the mother of Reba, offers an intimate moment to finish the recording.

Despite all the musical meandering that Reba McEntire has accomplished in her career, there is always something immediately familiar and comforting about hearing her voice. From the intense efforts of her early career, to the peak of her commercial fame with "Fancy" and regardless of her more contemporary efforts, Reba McEntire immediately reminds you of a time when country music has made sense. Stronger than the truth It's an album worth being loved, not only because it's perhaps Reba McEntire's most country record to date, but because it may be one of the most best.

1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)

– – – – – – – – – – –

Buy Reba McEntire's Stronger than the truth



[ad_2]

Source link