You can currently listen to every track on Laura Bell Bundy's unreleased album here. The album itself drops next Tuesday, April 13th, and you can buy a ridiculously over-priced, so-called "collector's package" that features cool things including the CD on her website.
As a legitimate fan of Laura, I feel I have the right to review this CD and have my opinion count, not that it will, but still. Who else is going to tell her the truth other than her REAL fans? I'm not here to kiss her ass, I'm here to tell her (if she ever sees this) what I REALLY think.
My first REAL introduction into country music was Laura's debut album, the lesser-known "Longing For a Place Already Gone." The title literally means she's longing to go back to when country music was actually real and pop country did not exist. I have "Longing..." on a constant repeat when I'm listening to the CD, and I love it desperately. It speaks to me. So, having said that, from a country music point of view, I have no idea what I'm taking about, but from someone who enjoys Laura's particular country twang and feel of rhythm and music and loves music in general, I feel I'm aptly qualified.
I've listened to "Drop on By", "Please", and "Homecoming Queen" so far. I skipped "Cigarette" because when I'm sad, it's on a constant loop on my iPod, so I actually know that song.
There was a point during "Please" where she was singing (duh) and all of the sudden, I felt a coldness. I thought, "She should be sad right now, she's begging Chri-her lover (ahem) to come and visit her. I hear absolutely no soul in her voice." Which is true, and by soul I don't mean "Aretha Franklin," I mean, emotion. You can pick up any cast recording and find at least ONE song where you can HEAR the actor acting the song. You can hear the smile in Christian Borle's voice as he belts out "Out of Myself" off the Prodigal cast album, you can hear the pure agony in Jesse L. Martin's voice when you hear him sing the "I'll Cover You" reprise, so why am I not hearing desperation, loss, sadness, angst, agony, ect. from missing her boyfriend so much? It honestly sounds like she's just singing, which is a slight turn off to me. I make the comparison to Broadway cast albums because Laura is a Broadway actor, and a damn good one. You'd expect an actor to act their song, but I hear no acting in "Please." If she ever performs this song live, "Please" act it. Feelings aside, the song is heartfelt and I could imagine myself if my life really were a musical singing this song to my lover.
Lyric-wise, I haven't had a chance to think about that yet. The second time around I'll give those more of a thought, but I did hear ONE lyric that made me double-take and think, "What the hell?!"
"If you were a hat, I'd try you on." Really? You could come up with, "I been through your pockets and smelled your shirts. I don't wear bath and body works!" but you couldn't come up with anything better than "If you were a hat I'd try you on?" I do have to commend her for the honesty throughout the song. It's really about HER. Most songs are about generic people, and it's an artist's way of distancing themselves from their art, but here the song is a Myspace survey or a Facebook tag from top to bottom.
I feel a desperate longing to want to know what "Cigarette" is actually about. I can't really pick out a story, and that bothers me. Laura has said (I'm paraphrasing, of course) "that being with you is worse for me than smoking a cigarette" and I honestly don't get that from the song. My sister, who is an avid country music fan, tells me the same thing, without having heard Laura's explanation, and I'm beginning to think that I don't quite understand the way country songs tell their stories, and that's okay.
I've taken a pause in my listening to write most of this review, and now that I think about it I can't honestly remember how any of the songs go.
I do remember that the first six songs so far have all been very pleasant to listen to. They're very easy on the ears and repetitive. It's obvious that Laura has gotten back that beautiful voice that So Much Better damaged so long ago. Her voice is very lovely, thin at times, cringe-worthy when she hits certain country, twangy notes, but in all very sweet and genuine.
I know for a fact I will find myself singing these first six songs constantly in my own little fake country twang.
Whoo, now...the shakin' side...if "When It All Goes South" would ever end. Looks like she took a Rhiana approach to writing songs by repeating one word constantly. In this case, where Rhiana's choices were "-ella" and "eh," Laura's choice is "high."
Laura has said that the Shakin' side of the album tells a story. The story starts out with her kickin' her cheating boyfriend's ass to the side.
"I'm No Good" starts out crazy interesting with a rhythm and a beat and a general sound that I've never heard before and I love it! I love the talking at the beginning as well. It's very creative. I love the message of the song and I could totally have fun singing to this song. During the quicker parts of the chorus, I can't understand what she's saying. I really do LOVE this song. The more I hear, the more I really enjoy it. OH! She's saying "Proceed with care." Gotcha.
She's staying mostly in her higher register for the Shakin' side, and I have to be honest: I miss her belting voice.
Wow. She got over this guy in two songs. I'm impressed. In "Boyfriend?" she's asking her new beau if she can call him her boyfriend. It's a fun song.
I skipped to the next song halfway through both "Rebound" and "Boyfriend?" I don't particularly like either.
The songs on this side of her CD are clearly more upbeat and they all sound different, unlike the Achin' side. I'm enjoying the energy this side of the CD brings. Everyone who is singing on this side is having fun, although I'm getting kind of tired of everyone else having fun doing crazy riffs during the songs OTHER than Laura. There's a fun fake-gospel kind of thing at the end of one of the songs, which is...interesting to say the least. It just goes to show you how much fun everyone really was having.
"Everybody" ends the CD on a completely fun and high-paced, running, jumping, happy, hopeful note.
The attitude is everything she's described it as. I can't really see people who want happy music listening to the Shakin' side, though, and only because every song is about boys and love and finding love and throwing a cheatin' lover out and those sound more like angry, payback things, rather than genuinely happy things. My suggestion is to rename the CD "Achin' and My Boyfriend Can Piss Off To Country Dancin' Songs." I know I won't be listening to those songs when I'm in a good mood. Driving down the street, I might blast "Giddy On Up" but I can't honestly say that I'll want to listen to songs that will make me think about how many assholes I've met recently, but that's me being overtly literal. Everyone loves a good man-ass kickin' song, and that's what the Shakin' side is about.
My grade for the CD? Four out of five. I love LBB, and she's got more than a few hits on this shiny new album.
I'll be first in line at the Wally-World come Tuesday, ten shiny new dollars in my hand, ready to buy that album. Maybe I'll even go Monday night at midnight and be the first! I honestly love the album enough to go and do just that, and you should, too!
Final Grade: ****/*****
What You Should Have Learned:
1. Christian Borle
2. Laura's new CD is really great.
3. CHRISTIAN BORLE.
4. I don't know anything about country music.
5. CHRISTIAN D. BORLE.
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