2014 CD Reviews - Jennifer Nettles - That Girl

[TageRyche]

Jennifer Nettles

That Girl

Mercury Records Nashville - 2014

http://www.jennifernettles.com

With sights set on expanding her profile beyond her "day job" as the singer for Sugarland, country music's Jennifer Nettles has teamed up with producer Rick Rubin for her debut solo album.

Rubin has crossed multiple genres to work with artists as diverse as Slayer, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks and a host of rap groups so he seems like a good choice for the direction that Nettles is looking to take her first steps toward.

Unlike a lot of so-called solo albums, Nettles was deeply involved in the creation of the material on the disc. Of the 11 tracks on the main album, she co-wrote nine of them. There's a cover of the Bob Seger song "Like a Rock" and there there is the lead track "Falling" which was composed by Nettles alone.

And what a composition it is. While the album alternates between the expected flourishes of country music and stretching for a more mature pop or adult contemporary feel, "Falling" is a pure country track. It opens slow as a means of showcasing the vocals before picking up the pace about a minute into the song. Nettles narrates the tale of a woman recalling a past love and does it in superbly entertaining fashion.

I'm not totally familiar with her cast of co-writers but names like Sara Bareilles and Richard Marx certainly stand out in my memory. Unfortunately, the Bareilles contribution, "This One's For You" left me cold. It's a slow pop-tinged ballad that plays as an ode to a lover, but it just didn't work for me.

On the flip side, the Richard Marx number is a honky-tonk, dive bar, fast-paced ditty called "Know You Wanna Know". The lyrics address the voyeuristic world we live in these days, particularly as it relates to celebrities. It is a killer track and I really enjoyed how Nettles cut loose so effectively on the song.

The music (at least on the songs I liked) was pretty adept at drawing you in as you wait for more of the endearing twang that you get from Nettles' voice. For me, the most noteworthy contributing musician was drummer Chad Smith. He's best known for playing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glenn Hughes and Chickenfoot. I like the way he provides a strong foundation on which to build each song upon and does it with ease.

I mentioned that Rick Rubin had previously worked with the Dixie Chicks. He produced their 2006 CD Taking The Long Way. (Chad Smith appeared on that disc as well). Like that album, the main problem with That Girl is when the songs reach beyond the country music vibe you might expect to find. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate when an artist moves to expand their musical horizons. Nettles did that on her collaboration with Bon Jovi on the hit song "Who Says You Can't Go Home". But the less country the song sounded here, the less likely it was for me to really get into it.

Tracks like "Jealousy" and "Good Time To Cry" just fell flat. The former, with its intentionally catty lyrics just seems beneath the talent of Nettles. As for the latter, it just should not have seen the light of day.

Covering a song...it is always hard to get a handle on them. The reason an artist is covering a particular song is because it has usually somehow become iconic in some way. Thus, fans of the original really don't want to see it messed with. It is a bit sad when I say that the title of the song pretty much sums up how the song went over with me. "Like A Rock," is unfortunately skip-worthy.

But don't despair, there are plenty of songs to enjoy that make me recommend this album to you.

The title track finds Nettles in the role of "Jolene", who finds herself cast in the unwanted role as "the other woman". The added touch at the end of the song to make it feel like a live performance was good.

I loved the twisty sense of irony employed on the vocals for "Moneyball".

I was a bit surprised to find that two of the best songs on the album were ballads. A simple musical score and a powerful vocal presentation help set both "This Angel" and "Thank You" apart from the endless supply of musical treacle that makes up most ballads.

The lyrics crafted for the chorus of "This Angel" are superb:

"Holy water from my own veins

Come and save me where I lay

All this longing for beauty unnamed

It has broken me open

To welcome the hope that you bring"

One of the reasons I find the vocals from Nettles so catchy is how she imbues such a depth of feeling no matter the pace of the song. Whether lightning quick, slow burning or a ballad, she knows how to make you believe in what she is singing. And it doesn't have to be lyrics that are mind blowing in their complexity either. On "Thank You", the following passage managed to make me feel as if she was somehow addressing each individual listener personally. Yes she's that good!

"I though you should know

How much you've helped me grow

I wanna thank you

I wanna tell you this

That you've made me the happiest

Thank you"

On the edition of the CD that I have - exclusive to Target stores - there are two bonus tracks. A flaw in the mix is that the writing credits and lyrics to the tracks are not included in the CD booklet. It is a shame because both are actually quite good.

While "Every Little Thing" features a jaunty little score and closes out the CD well, it is "His Hands" that really stops you in your tracks with pure gold excellence.

The song should've been included on the standard release because it is the dramatic showcase piece of the entire recording. Of course, when the subject matter of the song is domestic abuse, you feel a bit of a twinge praising the song so profusely but I digress.

The lyrics start out with a woman thrilling to the touch of "his hands" as a new love erupts. But the chorus to the song takes on a different and darker meaning as the relationship becomes abusive.

"And his hands...felt like thunder

on my skin

His eyes look right through me

and that was it

Silence was the only sound in

my heart poundin'"

I don't believe I'm exaggerating when I say that "His Hands" is the spiritual companion to the Sugarland song "Stay" in terms of the emotional impact conveyed within the song. It is an amazing piece of work.

I've listened to this disc a number of times now and while I hope I'm wrong,  I get the feeling That Girl serves as a declaration of intent that Jennifer Nettles is planning to leave Sugarland behind. While I would be drastically disappointed if that were to come to pass, the majority of the material on this album shows she has quite a future as a solo artist if she chooses that path as a full time career option.

Yes, I'm not crazy about the more pop-oriented music but tightening up that particular vein of songwriting on future releases will probably win me over.

Otherwise, it is simple. That Girl is going to continue to make Jennifer Nettles into "That Girl" in music (regardless of genre).

[Scott]

She's kinda purty...  That aside, she's country and that takes me away from wanting to have anything to do with this, but your always a good read and I was surprised that Chad Smith does this type of side work.  I've never been much a Richard Marx fan either so nothing here will appeal to me, but she is cute...