Single Reviews
Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin'”
One of the saddest things about the infamous “soccer mom soundtrack” mentality driving Music Row – whereby most singles are picked specifically because they require no real cognitive processing on your drive home from work – is how it scares most artists away from attempting any stylistic variety.
Thank goodness Lee Ann Womack is not one of them. In an era where “Stay” and “More Like Her” are considered risky radio releases simply for being un-chipper acoustic ballads that aren’t by Taylor Swift or a dude, Womack has gone ahead and picked a slow-burning lounge number about holing up in a bar and feeling sorry for yourself. Atta girl.
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis, “I Told You So”
What a fascinating collaboration. Both Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood have recorded distinctly different but equally compelling versions of “I Told You So.”
Travis was all tortured uncertainty in his version, like a nervous inner monologue made public. It was only on the chorus that he truly sang, as the verses were practically spoken.
Underwood chose to sand down those rough edges in her spin on the classic, expanding the hook into a power note and crafting a smooth melody out of the jagged verses.
Each original recording played to its artist’s strengths, but how can such disparate performances come together to make one cohesive record?