Iris DeMent - Way I Should Be (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Miss Iris protests.

Peter Reeve | Thousand Oaks, CA USA | 11/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Iris has been polarizing opinions and confounding expectations throughout her career and this, the third of her four albums to date, is no exception. Everything she does is heartfelt and musically satisfying but, being so varied, will not always be to your taste. She loses some fans and gains others with each release.

Some of the songs here hark back to the style of 60s protest songs, especially There's a Wall in Washington and Wasteland of the Free. I personally found the former (about the Vietnam commemorative wall) heartbreakingly powerful, whereas the latter came over as too strident and simplistic.

I still love Iris best when she is light and lyrical, as she is on my favorite track, When My Morning Comes Around. But long may she extend her thematic range and continue to explore new avenues of creativity. Listen to her with an open mind and an open heart and you may well fall in love with her too.

"

Disappointing after two great records

Peter Reeve | 03/11/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"`Infamous Angel' and `My Life' are two of the greatest country records I've ever heard. Iris' voice borders on the eerie in its ability to move the listener. Her lyrics on those two records perfectly conveyed the reality of simple universal (western) situations, though Dement's country roots were also clear to see. Of course these aren't the only things you can write songs about, but they are what Dement is good at. I didn't like the particular change in direction that we get on `The Way I Should'. I have to admit that I'm no fan of the more rocky approach to start with, but I think the main problem lies in the issue led themes that just don't seem to work here. Issue songs can obviously work, but I'm not sure about their success in the country medium. And neither am I convinced by this more m.o.r. country approach. I don't think that doing what you're good at necessarily means getting stuck in a rut, so i hope that we see a return to a less overblown style in the next record."

What country should sound like

adbar@denver.net is Adam Bartolik | Denver, Colorado | 06/02/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've never heard Iris DeMent tear through a tune, you're missing the boat. This is where country music should have logically grown, before taking a wrong turn near Hollywood. Her third outing shows more of the biting, sincere lyrics and Ozark rhythms that sets Iris apart from the smarmy formula Nashville spits out all too regularly now. Tracks like "Walkin' Home" and "Letter To Mom" showcase DeMent's talent for writing about family -- all the good, bad and ugly pieces that make us individuals, but also give us common experiences. In "There's A Wall In Washington" and "Wasteland Of The Free", we hear the raging cynicism and heartfelt anger that is almost absent in country music now. This album is all about accepting who you are and moving forward. "The Way I Should" and "When My Mornin' Comes Around" are the anthems for this spirit. Iris DeMent seems to be happy with who she is, consequences be damned. We should all be grateful for this. The presence of artists like Earl Scruggs, Lonnie Mack, Delbert McClinton and Mark Knopfler among other greats, only adds to the credibility of this great songwriter. There's nothing on this album that will be heard in a car commercial. There's nothing on this album that will likely find your local "hot country" station. Be thankful, because these songs will touch you deeply and make you think. They won't be gone after 3 minutes. More likely, they will always be in the back of your mind, waiting for you to deal with them, like Iris has."

Who is this person and what did she do with our Iris?

Peter Reeve | 03/30/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Taken by itself, this album isn't all that bad. Looking at the country genre as a whole, it's better than a lot out there. But compared with Iris's debut it's heartbreaking to see her downslide into what my grandmother would call Nashville Trash. The pure-hearted simplicity I fell in love with has been replaced by overblown arrangements and a deep, dogmatic cynicism. "When My Morning Comes Around" and "This Kind of Happy" are the better tracks on this CD, but they pale to pretty much all of Infamous Angel. "Trouble" and "Letter to Mom" are just plain embarassing. Iris, where did you go wrong?"

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