Thursday, 25 February 2010

CD Review: The Long Way Home”
Geoffrey Himes (Feb. 2010)
The Washington Post
Going Out Guide

The last track on Terri Clarks latest album, “The Long Way Home,” is the demo version of “Gypsy Boots,” a sassy feminist declaration that “I aint cut out for aprons or staying home at night.” Framed only by acoustic guitar and hand drums, Clarks big voice sounds as if shes confiding to a new lover something that may not be obvious. The same song kicks off the album but in a modern Nashville arrangement that pushes every electric guitar lick, every drum smack, every keyboard chord into the red zone on the volume meter. What was once personal and understated is now as impersonal and overstated as a Hollywood action movie.

The difference between the two versions says a lot about the problems of contemporary country music, but it also says something about the unrealized potential of Clarks new disc. The veteran from Alberta wrote or co-wrote all 10 songs, and they reflect a new depth and maturity in her lyrics.

“A Million Ways To Run” describes in both sharp detail and mixed feelings the dynamics of 12-step meeting; “Merry Go Round” evokes the difficulty of stepping away from workaholic careerism. “The One You Love,” a lovely duet with Vince Gill, acknowledges the impossibility of rescuing an alcoholic who cant admit the problem. “If I Could Be You” traces the twists and turns of two women, best friends who followed different paths.

These four songs are presented in nicely understated arrangements that balance the sturdy structure of Music Row craftsmanship and the transparency of singer-songwriter folk. They represent the best work of Clarks career. On the same album, however, are several tracks as overbearing and off-putting as the lead-off number. Clark produced the album herself, so go figure.
Geoffrey Himes (Feb. 2010)