Loveless was born to sing these songs. She convincingly and flawlessly sings country, bluegrass, and the blues. I believe her when she says, "laugh too little, cry too much, way too long without that gentle touch, weight of the world resting down on your bones, pretty soon you got an old soul." Her bluegrass is a joy, the harmonizing pure delight.
The bluegrass by nature has its own energy. Most of the country songs are slow to mid-tempo with a couple of exceptions. Everything leans toward the acoustic. Dobro, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and guitar get a workout. The obligatory pedal steel blends in well. Some songs are pleasantly sparse; the balance between that and a fuller sound is just right.
One of the delights is a remake of the old Delaney and Bonnie song "Never Ending (Song of) Love." This bluegrass version breathes new life into the hit folk song.
"Same Kinda Crazy" is a get-on-the-dance-floor country song about a woman who feels like she has met her match. "Big Chance" is a classic and humorous bluegrass song about a woman who is determined not to miss her big chance of getting married. The harmonizing can't be beat. "When I Reach The Place I'm Going" is a to-die-for bluegrass gospel song that turns our gaze from this life to the next. It takes you out of yourself.
There are two short hidden tracks after the last song. The tracks are unvarnished, capturing Loveless singing with guitar. The second, an old recording of a gospel song, makes me long for a gospel bluegrass CD by Loveless.
This CD made me realize how much I can enjoy country and bluegrass--especially bluegrass!
4 tocks
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