So what's all this 'New Country' that's been a buzz for the past few years. Surely Shania Twain and Faith Hill's unabashed courting of pop divahood is the direction we should be pointing fingers when we utter such words, and before you start, STOP, no I'm not having a go at these artists, I personally love them both. Surely we should also point the finger in the direction of artists like Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks who have been selling zillions of copies of albums that have filtered into mainstream radio, TV and living rooms over the past decade. The point is Country music has hit the masses because it combines soulful acoustics with powerful vocals. The days of traditional country (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash) have moved on. Some may call this a tragedy, and of course nobody can EVER compare to these legends. However much of what we hear in Country music today is good, light-hearted music with a refreshing mix of beats and tempo's.
So, when we talk of 'New Country', it is also appropriate to mention the freshest and most talented Country act of the past decade, the Dixie Chicks. Their debut album 'Wide Open Spaces' became music's biggest-selling cross-over album in the 1998 and to be honest, just like listening to Shania or Faith, there's nothing mystifying about this album's broad appeal (a strong vocal performance to accompany a catchy song is the oldest formula in the perennial book). Which is not to say that there's nothing more to the Dixie Chicks. There's that name to begin with, which is really just like the country version of the Spice Girls, isn't it? But while the Spice Girls exploited the empty-headed, bubble-gum Pop market, the Dixie Chicks have taken at least one good cue from traditional Country - the recognition that sometimes less is more, a direction especially refreshing when country music today seems inundated with overwrought delivery (LeAnn Rimes, Toby Keith).
The best thing about the Dixie Chicks is their ability to fuse the amazing voice of Natalie Maines with the wondrous sound of Emily and Marty Robinson, be it with violin, banjo, fiddle or guitar. Certainly in 'Wide Open Spaces', Maines' voice is strong but never strident, as capable of hay-stompin' ('Let 'er rip'), square-dancin' fun ('I can love you better') as it is of the kind of warm, soulful character that accompanies restraint ('You were mine'). What also sets this album apart from your run-of-the-mill Country offering is the Chicks' attitude and approach, following in the footsteps of Bonnie Raitt and Shawn Colvin by avoiding the worst clichés of latter-day Country artists and then incorporating as a component of the whole the genre's basic musical elements.
I have heard some critics say 'Wide Open Spaces' is neither groundbreaking nor terribly original, and that it won't change anyone's opinion of Country music. I disagree, as a Northern lad brought up and bred in South Yorkshire I would say I was as far removed from country as Iggy Pop is to Celine Dion. But I, along with many others I know, started listening to Country music off the back of this album. It is groundbreaking in its delivery of songs that one minute can fill you with energy and fun, the next, twist the knife in your soul.
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The major-label debut from this Texas trio proves their instrumental abilities, blending ... more
more traditional twang with slow melodic blues, foot-tapping rockabilly, and bluegrass-inspired pop harmonies. From the opener, "I Can Love You Better", the Chicks...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The major-label debut from this Texas trio proves their instrumental abilities, blending ... more
more traditional twang with slow melodic blues, foot-tapping rockabilly, and bluegrass-inspired pop harmonies. From the opener, "I Can Love You Better", the Chicks...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The major-label debut from this Texas trio proves their instrumental abilities, blending ... more
more traditional twang with slow melodic blues, foot-tapping rockabilly, and bluegrass-inspired pop harmonies. From the opener, "I Can Love You Better", the Chicks...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The major-label debut from this Texas trio proves their instrumental abilities, blending ... more
more traditional twang with slow melodic blues, foot-tapping rockabilly, and bluegrass-inspired pop harmonies. From the opener, "I Can Love You Better", the Chicks...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
I Can Love You Better Wide Open Spaces Loving Arms There's Your Trouble You Were Mine ... more
Never Say Die Tonight The Heartache's On Me Let 'Er Rip Once You've Loved Somebody I'll Take Care Of You Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way) Give ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Nov 16th, 2005
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