RIYL: Roseanne Cash, Tift Merritt, Neko Case
It took ten years for Shelby Lynne to declare I Am Shelby Lynne, following her little-noticed first life as a glossed over country-pop singer from the late ’80s to the mid ’90s. This period was so little noticed, in fact, that I Am Shelby Lynne earned her a “Best New Artist” Grammy in 2001, even though the not-so-unknown Epic label had released her 1989 debut a full ten years prior. But we all know how with-it the Grammys are.
Anyway, since then, Shelby has done a little western swing (Restless), some Dusty Springfield covers (2008’s Just a Little Lovin’), and now she returns to roost in a mostly stripped back, rootsy country vibe with Tears, Lies, and Alibis. A little bit of Dusty’s Memphis soul from the last album informs this disc, but for the most part, this is country music as it was meant to be – about real life situations, and with no gimmicky production tricks or cynical modern pop chord changes and productions.
The stripped back production is especially welcome in light of the beautiful directness of songs like “Family Tree,” which is as bitter and biting as similar minded tracks by Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan; or “Alibi,” which packs its main wallop via low key vocal harmonies that are deservedly allowed to step forward each time before the chorus hook. They only show for a few seconds each time, but that’s all the time they need to make their point.
At ten songs, the album is lean, though not a second is wasted. It’s exactly the kind of record that one hopes to find these days – the kind that has no weak moments, that doesn’t drag on too long, and that has a strong enough emotional resonance to keep inviting a return listen. Granted, it’s not going to fit every situation, but on a dreary rainy day, it’s perfectly in sync with the environment. In times of heartbreak, it reads your mind and says what you’re not courageous enough to say. And in times when you just want to hear a solid, well crafted album filled with well written songs, you couldn’t do much better. (Everso 2010)
