Martina McBride - Everlasting
Vinyl Recordings/Kobalt
SROSE001CDP
Long time modern-day country queen Martina McBride simply has the kind of voice that can handle practically anything that you care to throw in her direction. On this latest album, produced in Nashville by Don Was, she continues to stretch her skills and realise her artistic potential with her own unique interpretations of a dozen mainly soul or r&b classics. A remarkable chanteuse, singing such superb material, tastefully arranged and produced, her voice floats over the album’s pop-roots foundations like a butterfly over a garden. Having said that, the whole album is something of a frustrating listen. Having heard such soulful voices as Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Jimmy Ruffin originally singing these songs, you miss those soulful edges that Martina just cannot match. She sounds so much better on the more light-weight material such as the Supremes’ Come See About Me and the Teddy Bears’ To Know Him Is To Love Him.
She has evolved into quite the seductress, and this is very evident in her pouty delivery of the smouldering lyric of If You Don’t Know Me By Now. That follows Suspicious Minds, which she handles with great aplomb, but I sorely missed the electric charge that ol’ Waylon and Jessi brought to this song way back in 1970. Her rendition of Fred Neil’s A Little Bit Of Rain sounds real good, even though her vocal seems a mite bland. Gavin DeGraw, who joins Martina on Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me, completely lifts the whole performance urging Martina to really open up her soulful side. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long begins with the hush of delicate guitar and slowly lifts to an adequate emotional rendition, but it’s almost as if Martina and company are holding back slightly on a song that begs for them to let loose.
This is undeniably a beautifully crafted album that flows smooth and easy: perhaps I expect Martina to aim too high, but I don’t think so. Given the rein, I know she is much more than just a fine singer. Throughout, her singing is sincere and expressive, sadly though, like Phil Collins who has recorded similar albums, Martina’s voice and styling don’t light any fires. Having said that, I did enjoy the album. The musical arrangements are faultless and the background vocalists add much to the overall soulful feel.
www.martinamcbride.com
SROSE001CDP
Long time modern-day country queen Martina McBride simply has the kind of voice that can handle practically anything that you care to throw in her direction. On this latest album, produced in Nashville by Don Was, she continues to stretch her skills and realise her artistic potential with her own unique interpretations of a dozen mainly soul or r&b classics. A remarkable chanteuse, singing such superb material, tastefully arranged and produced, her voice floats over the album’s pop-roots foundations like a butterfly over a garden. Having said that, the whole album is something of a frustrating listen. Having heard such soulful voices as Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Jimmy Ruffin originally singing these songs, you miss those soulful edges that Martina just cannot match. She sounds so much better on the more light-weight material such as the Supremes’ Come See About Me and the Teddy Bears’ To Know Him Is To Love Him.She has evolved into quite the seductress, and this is very evident in her pouty delivery of the smouldering lyric of If You Don’t Know Me By Now. That follows Suspicious Minds, which she handles with great aplomb, but I sorely missed the electric charge that ol’ Waylon and Jessi brought to this song way back in 1970. Her rendition of Fred Neil’s A Little Bit Of Rain sounds real good, even though her vocal seems a mite bland. Gavin DeGraw, who joins Martina on Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me, completely lifts the whole performance urging Martina to really open up her soulful side. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long begins with the hush of delicate guitar and slowly lifts to an adequate emotional rendition, but it’s almost as if Martina and company are holding back slightly on a song that begs for them to let loose.
This is undeniably a beautifully crafted album that flows smooth and easy: perhaps I expect Martina to aim too high, but I don’t think so. Given the rein, I know she is much more than just a fine singer. Throughout, her singing is sincere and expressive, sadly though, like Phil Collins who has recorded similar albums, Martina’s voice and styling don’t light any fires. Having said that, I did enjoy the album. The musical arrangements are faultless and the background vocalists add much to the overall soulful feel.
www.martinamcbride.com