Search - Shelby Lynne :: Tears, Lies, And Alibis

Lovely Lynne

Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 04/22/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"2008's finely crafted but slow moving tribute to Dusty Springfield, Just A Little Lovin', seems to have divided up the fans a bit. I loved it, but, judging from the reviews on these pages, others either disliked it because they felt the performances didn't compare favorably with the Springfield originals, or because it wasn't what they expected of Ms. Lynne. This new CD finds Shelby firmly back on track, writing all the songs, and sounding better than ever, if perhaps a bit down.



There's a fair amount of variety here, but the album does tend toward the somber, and the instrumentation is sparse and often so subtle that it takes repeated play to notice all the nuances and bits of virtuosity by the supporting players. Yet this factor is also what makes this collection of tunes so charming, despite the sadness and occasional anger conveyed in many of them. Lynne is not a flamboyant artist, and is not interested in proving every second that she's a technically brilliant vocalist. No screaming or running up and down the scales - just good, straightforward phrasing with attention paid most to lyric and melody. These songs convey emotion through Lynne's words and the sweetness and delicacy of the instrumentals. Although this is at a heart a country album, it's not a typical one, in that it does not strive for either a stereotypical country sound, or for commercialism - no hit singles here except maybe the opening rocker, "Rains Came." This is mostly a quiet, adult record, yet not without some energy (although the most up-tempo tracks are the first two, with slight lifts coming in on two mid-tempo tracks in the middle, and the next-to-last song). Listen to the gently driving "Family Tree," reminiscent of the southwestern folk sound of Calexico. "Something to Be Said About Airstreams" is a sweet, nostalgic homage to living on the road and reminds me a little of the songs of John Gorka (his "Airstream Bohemians" came to mind), and Greg Brown. "Loser Dreamer" is especially moving, with a lyric that hits me where I live, and the effect is magnified through a haunting, atmospheric arrangement. "Old # 7" has some nice electric slide guitar, and the next track, "Old Dog," features vigorous acoustic guitar with a bluesy folk sound and some fine male backup vocals doing the harmony. The final ballad, "Home Sweet Home," is one of the best, most personal songs in this set, with Lynne expressing exhaustion from touring and a longing for the comforts and stability of home life; always nice when an album ends on a high!



My one complaint is that the CD is so brief. It wasn't expensive, though, and I'd rather have a solid, short recording, then a longer, less cohesive one. All and all, a fine offering from an artist who still has much more to say. I'll follow her as long as she keeps making music at least as good as TEARS, LIES AND ALIBIS."

Clear, spare, heartwrenching and pure

Sound of Musik | New York | 05/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recently saw Shelby live in NYC and she is spellbinding. She played most of "Tears, Lies..." in the same spare, elegant manner on the cd, and she was mesmerising. Alibi is one of the great ballads of the 21st century. See her live, buy her music, she's as real and beautiful as it gets."

The melancholy side of Shelby Lynne

Lucky Sevens | Tiger Town, Alabama | 05/12/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In her twenty year career, Shelby Lynne has become a bit of country music chameleon. She's tried mainstream country (her first three albums on Epic Records), alternative country ("Suit Yourself" and "Identity Crisis"), pop music (her 2001 album "Love, Shelby"), blue-eyed soul ("I Am Shelby Lynne" and "Just A Little Lovin'"), and even big band and swing (her two mid 90's albums). Her refusal for her music to be pigeonholed has oftentimes worked against her, and record labels were left scratching their heads as they had no idea what to do with her. Although she has been signed to practically every major label known to man, almost none of them lead to success for Shelby. So, she went the independent route and released her new album "Tears, Lies and Alibis" on her own imprint Everso Records.



Her latest effort is written and produced entirely by Shelby, much like her two albums for Capitol Records- 2003's "Identity Crisis" and 2005's "Suit Yourself". Most of the album has a stripped down acoustic sound throughout and the prevailing theme is heartbreak and sadness- as if the album title didn't tip you off. It starts off with "Rains Came" and the soul-infused ballad "Why Didn't You Call Me". The song "Alibi" sees Shelby confront her significant other over his late night indiscretions. "Old #7" shows Shelby drowning her sorrows in alcohol over a nasty breakup. The album ends with "Home Sweet Home" in which she is weary from doing tours and just wants to go home. Desptie the gloomy theme of "Tears, Lies And Alibis", it's fairly good but she has done much better material in the past."