GAC Album Review: Terri Clark’s Classic

“Those looking for what traditionalists call country are hereby requested in the listening room. On her tenth studio album, Terri Clark – the Alberta, Canada native with a Music City soul – dishes up 11 of the genre’s most cherished possessions on a strikingly heartfelt collection.

The aptly titled Classic, now available in the states after a Fall Canadian release, draws on songwriting riches including hits such as Loretta Lynn’s “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” and Glen Campbell’s “Gentle On My Mind.” Yes, they’ve long been revered as country standards, but when Terri sings with fiery passion on the former, Many a night I’ve laid awake and cried here all night long, simultaneously scorned and lonely, she injects infectious new energy into the songs with an immediate impact.

Backed by a band that includes such Nashville A-list session players as Brent Mason (electric guitar) and The Time Jumpers’ Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Terri moves decisively through the project that aims to pull two classics from each decade starting with the ‘50s. After setting the mood with an antique recording of Terri’s own grandmother covering Kitty Wells’ “The White Circle On My Finger,” Terri launches into Kitty’s 1952 masterpiece, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” thrusting headlong into the tune’s timeless story. Too many times married men think they’re still single, she sings with a conviction and technical prowess that quickly establishes the skill to handle the material. And on the Delbert McClinton-penned song Emmylou Harris made famous, the low-end gear jammer, “Two More Bottles of Wine,” Terri’s inflections and tones show off a compelling sincerity.”

Keep reading at GAC.com!