Women of Country - Album Reviews

Album Review

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records

My first experience with Taylor Swift was seeing her as a part of this year’s Country Bash in sunny Southern California. What I especially remember was her unexpectedly strong opening number, a countrified rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”” Not only did it take an incredible spirit to enter with that, it took creativity and, undoubtedly, a certain amount of self-assurance and conviction. Those traits and more are found in abundance on Taylor’s eponymous debut project for Big Machine Records.

The emotional centerpiece of the album rests with the exceptional “Should’ve Said No.” Carefully towing the line between anger and rage, Taylor paints a picture with a theme so universal and realistic. What’s nice is that it proves not every country song these days has to be a lyrically complicated jumble of clichés. Breaking up sucks. Being cheated on sucks. And more power to Taylor for laying it all out there, simple and to the point. Now’s probably a good time to point out the witty and sarcastic dedication in her liner notes: “To all the boys who thought they would be cool and break my heart, guess what? Here are 11 songs written about you. HA.”

“Our Song” should be a single at some point, as it’s a strong showcase for Taylor’s unique vocal styling. She’s one part conversational, one part flirty, and another part dreamy in tone. She’s also got a great “every person’s” point of view. It’s hard not to connect with a song like “Our Song,” especially if you’re still somewhat in tune with your high school years. How many of y’all remember “riding shotgun with [your] hair undone” or being on the phone with your crush and “talking real slow, ‘cause it’s late and your mama don’t know”? Yeah, that’s right, we’ve all been there.

Other winners include the sonically pleasing first single, “Tim McGraw,” the sassy “Picture to Burn,” and the slice of life that is “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My).” Maybe the only misstep is “Tied Together With A Smile,” which could have benefited from a less monotonous arrangement.

The enhanced side of the album includes the music video for “Tim McGraw” and some fun footage from Taylor’s Grand Ole Opry debut. She’s also personalized the jacket to include a hidden message in each of the lyrics (jot down the capitalized letters and you die-hard hard fans will get some new insight, track by track).

Age is unimportant. What matters is talent, and Taylor’s got that. You go girl.

Album Review by Chris Macon.

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.