Women of Country - Album Reviews

Album Review

Deana Carter
The Story of My Life
Vanguard Records

What in the hell was Deana Carter thinking? After Carter’s last album I’m Just a Girl turned out to be a completely bland experience that lead to very little interest you would have thought that she would at least attempt to regain some of the “Strawberry Wine” form that made her a household name back in the mid 90s. Instead we’re presented with The Story of My Life which continues the downward spiral that started with I’m Just a Girl. This album feels so disjointed that any of the good ideas found here get lost in the suffle of bland throw aways that don't work. Deana swings wildly back and forth in musical styles here and misses the mark almost every step of the way.

The album opens with “The Girl You Left Me For” where Deana attempts to channel her inner Avril Lavinge to absolutely laughable results. Many teen pop stars have tried to pull this phony angry pop rock song act but from Carter it’s just laughable. “One Day At A Time” had potential and is as close as Deana gets to old form but then the production breaks down into a sloppy swing between acoustic guitar and then back to the funky groove of the rest of the song. “Ordinary” suffers the opposite problem, the verses build up wonderfully to where a loud rock chorus should happen and then it slows down, loses all momentum and proceeds to fall flat on its face. There are moments in these songs where you think they might come together but it doesn't happen.

Once you make it through the first few songs the album totally shifts from an overproduced attempt at rock music to a soft, almost under produced collection of bland slow songs. “Katie” is jarring and lacks focus. It comes off as a laundry list of ideas to describe this one woman without much structure. “Atlanta & Birmingham” and “In a Heartbeat” both fail to hold your interest all the way through. “Not Another Love Song” comes across as an almost 5 minute whine session instead of a real sad song. Nothing here has any real impact.

The only saving grace to this album is “Sunny Day” which works just becuase the sarcasm found in it is something you don’t usually hear in country radio but even that song wears thin quickly. “Getting Over You” has a cool little groove through most of the song but again the transitions between verse and chorus are jarring and ultimate detract from the song. In the end, even the songs that are enjoyable the first couple of times through aren't ones that you're going to be listening to a year from now. Deana produced this album herself and thats unfortunate because with a more experienced producer at the helm of this project it could have turned into something distinct.

The Story of My Life is simply one of the weakest albums I’ve heard in a long time. Very little of what Deana tries here works and with some of this material she runs a strong risk of alienating her core audience. There are moments when this isn't even a country record and in the times that it is it's not all that interesting. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. Come on Deana, give us a break. We all know you're capable of much better than this.

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.