Middleman's "Things" Indispensable
T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 05/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Prime Cuts: Things I Didn't Know I Knew, I'll Have What She Has, Let's Do This Again Sometime
Good songs are never fettered by genres. Georgia Middleman who has been known for crafting country hits such as "Don't Ruin It for the Rest of Us" (Joe Nichols), "Dearly Beloved" (Faith Hill) and "The First to Fall" (Terri Clark) flaunts her versatility on her latest disc "Things I Didn't Know I Knew." Instead of just regurgitating the type of music that has brought her clients success, Middleman has decided to take a mammoth risk. She has decided to extend the boundaries of her repertoire to include jazz and soulful pop. However, lest her longtime country fans wallow in disappointment, despite the jazz influences of many of these cuts, the bulk of these 11 tracks still retain some form of country--at least in the contemporary sense of the word. Nevertheless, most alluring about this disc is still Middleman's vocals--like her music, this Tennessean has the way to grabbing attention with her sensuous Joy Lynn White-esque Southern drawl when she wants to be sassy. On the other hand, in those plaintive moments, she has a tear-stained quality in her voice that draws its heritage from Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton.
With the current torrent of non-descript songs that flood our radio, the title cut "Things I Didn't Know I Know" is a breath of fresh air. A gorgeous ballad enhanced by an ensemble of strings transports us back to the big band era of Hammerstein and Gershwin when love songs not only give expression to the heart, but they are so intricately written that they are meant to last for ages to come. "Things I Didn't Know," a Middleman original, is such a stunning example. More magical moments continue with "Let's Do This Again Sometime;" two of the best ballads that bookend the album. Also set within the sepia toned era of the past, "I'll Have What She Has" is witty uptempo jazz number that finds Middleman in a restaurant watching another girl indulging not in her food but her man. Such contagious euphoria was enough to send Middleman into her fantasy world where she too long for a similar guy. Filled with witty lines, this romantic daydreaming into the psyche of the female mind is just fascinating.
Middleman's acumen as one of country music's top notched country music scribes show with "Gypsy When She Dreams." Like al great country writers, Middleman has a sublime gift of taking the ordinary events of life and gives them a affecting spin. "Gypsy," a mid-tempo ditty, tells of the frustrations of a housewife who desperately wants to rise above mediocrity. "The Best Thing" (which sounds very much like Middleman's "Heaven and Back Again" from her previous CD) gives voice to what every mother feels at the birth of their children. The attention paid to details of this track makes the message even more engaging and real. While on "Two People in Love" Middleman moves into Bonnie Riatt bluesy rock territory escalated by some 70s sounding trumpets.
Overall, there's not a dud here--every song seems to hold its water. Never expect all the songs to flow from one to another as if the whole album is one long song. Instead each track here is uniquely crafted and Middleman (who also produced the disc) approaches each one as if each were her own baby. This means each song exude its own characteristic, style and attitude. After so many big country stars have queued up for her songs, they all can't be wrong.
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