But then I heard her new album actually was pretty good, and after hearing it multiple times, I'll be damned - it is. I won't sugarcoat it, this is pop-country, and depending on your stance on pop's place in country music, this may or may not be for you. For me though, I always like seeing this sub-genre churn out quality music, and I believe this album does that.
Sure, there are some unfortunate low points that creep up at points on this record. "Next Boyfriend"'s lyrical flow is too jarring for me, and once again, busbee's production techniques shine through in the wrong way like they did in the lead single. Also, "My Kinda People" plays things a little safe overall to really work for me. It's not bad necessarily, after all, Lauren has the pipes to really at least give it some flavor, but it still rings as too safe and non-eventful to really capture any sort of mood for me.
However, the beauty of this album shines through more than enough times here and goes in a direction that I wasn't expecting for this album - personal. "Doin' Fine", while featuring somewhat of an overproduced chorus is a song that introduces this sort of personal feeling to the record as a whole, being brutally honest in its framing. What's more is that a lot of the events discussed in this song resurface later on throughout this album.
"Three" is an absolutely beautiful track that highlights Lauren's struggles in the music business, and how she's had to miss important events at home in order to have three minutes on the radio. Again, what really sets this apart boils down to two things. One, Lauren's power as a vocalist and as an emotive presence, and two, the honesty that stems from it. Again, it's pop-country, but it's a shining example of pop-country done right.
"Pretty" is Lauren's advice to everyone to be who you are, and not let others drag you down. It's sort of taking the same frame as "Road Less Traveled", only here, the details are fleshed out and the production fits the mood of the song overall without sacrificing its quality. Of course, if you want to talk about moments where the production really works, we need to explore "Same Day Different Bottle", a song that most have crowned the album highlight. I won't say it's my number one favorite here, but it is one of them, showcasing a dark, moody song that talks of Lauren's father and his struggles with alcohol. What I really love about this track is that it's more defeated in tone, insinuating that Lauren has tried to help every way she can even though it's obviously not enough. Again, it's brutal, it's honest, and that steel guitar that creeps up every now and then really drives the entire mood home.
So alright, what about the songs that AREN'T seemingly as personal? Well, it's somewhat of a mixed bag honestly. "Queen Of Hearts" suffers from the same problems that plague "Next Boyfriend", and "Holding The Other" is a solid, albeit not all that memorable love song. However, there's also some damn great moments. My pick for the best song here is undoubtedly "Think Outside The Boy" with the lighter banjo driving the rhythm along and again, a showcase of some truly clever writing. There's some really great hooks on this album, and this is definitely the best one.
Perhaps the biggest reason why I would never call myself a "critic" is because I can't think critically when it comes to music. I like what I like and I can tell you why for the most part, but again, I like what I like. What does that have to do with anything? Well, when discussing the track "Crashin' The Boys Club", it's probably the one track that I've seen receive a lot of flack for not really contributing anything of value to the project. Now I don't think that's entirely fair. The bass groove that's supporting this song is absolutely fun as all hell, and again, Lauren's an underrated vocalist. She's got the power sure, but she's also got some pure charisma, injecting a ton of energy into a song that sure, should I maybe not like as much for being a little too clumsy lyrically? Sure, I guess. Do I still enjoy the heck out of the song? You bet I do.
So overall, like many other people I wound up enjoying this album a lot more than I initially expected to. It's not often that you come across a country-pop album that's got as much heart as this, and while there are a few missteps here, this was an album that really won me over on Lauren as an artist. Whether country radio will take to her after "Road Less Traveled" remains to be seen, but as a fan, I hope they do, since there are a ton of great songs here. Kudos are in order as well for even being able to release this album. It was worth the wait.
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