Women of Country - The Internet's #1 Guide to Female Country Music

Album Review

Martina McBride
Martina
RCA Records

Martina McBride is finally back. It's been a long four year wait for an album of completely new music from the reigning queen of modern country music. In all reality she never really left. The awards shows have showered her with praise mainly off the overwhelming success of her greatest hits record and the three hit singles found there. You could call this record her first studio album since achieving the long awaited, and vastly deserved critical acclaim and "super star" status. That's a lot of pressure for one album and while this album never achieves the level of greatness found on Martina's best collection, Evolution, it's still a solid record which will bring Martina many more fans.

No one has a voice like Martina McBride and she continues to prove that she can sing anyone under a table with this record. "How Far" is a ballad which soars with trademark McBride power. This the best ballad since "Where Would You Be". The album opens with "So Magical" which has a cool Celtic feel to the instrumental and would make an excellent single. The live version of "Over The Rainbow" is breath-taking as usual. "Wearing White" is a truly quirky little tune but Martina's vocal performance makes it worth repeat listens. You'll without a doubt be hearing "She's A Butterfly" all over the radio if it makes it out there as a single. "Learning To Fall" is my personal favorite here. The bright acoustic guitar strumming and solid story make this one I keep hitting the repeat button on. The production is slick but not overwhelming which is a nice change.

There are a few songs on this album which feel like filler. The current single "This One's For The Girls" is remarkably a heavy dose of pop fluff for an artist of Martina's caliber. It's enjoyable enough but it's not a song you will be playing years from now like Martina's finest tracks. "In My Daughter's Eyes" is so syrupy sweet that it is bound to turn off a few listeners. A great tune for the mothers out there who by this record but one that others will not relate to at all. But these are minor gripes and ones that no two people will agree on.

The only thing that holds this album back is that you know that Martina is capable of even stronger releases. We're still waiting for an album that is the equal to her stunning 1997 release Evolution. Granted, it's extremely difficult to consistently gather a collection of songs that incredibly solid but we would like to think that Martina has it in her. In the end, even though this is a strong record it feels like a safe bet to keep Martina on the radio. At this stage in her career it would be nice to see Martina take a few risks and push her music in new directions. With that said this is still one of the strongest records of the year and worth the money you would lay down to own a copy yourself.

Album Review by Jeff Krasky

The WOC Rating Scale

The album stands above the rest. This is a record that every country music fan needs to have in their collection.

This album is better than the average release. A strong record with some flaws that keep it from reaching that 5 star level.

This album is an average country release. Doesn't posses qualities that make it stand out among all the other albums out there.

A weak record that lacks solid songs or good vocal performances. Sample before you buy.

This record is a bargin-bin reject that just isn't worth the time or the money. Completely misses the mark.