The next country `It Girl'
By CHRISTIE BOLSEN
Assistant Scene Editor
Country fans looking for the next "It Girl" in Nashville may have to look no further than 19-year-old Tennessee native, Jessica Andrews. Her third album, Now, shows off her powerful, sultry voice that helped her reach gold status and fame with her last release, Who I Am.
No track exhibits her amazing singing ability more than the stirring "God, Don't Give Up on Us." With the pleading lyrics and gorgeous piano, Andrews manages what Clint Black, Toby Keith and Darryl Worley could not do — she sings a song reflecting the turmoil of war that actually is sincere.
While the three grown men, and a slew of other country stars, attempt political commentary with ignorant lyrics, ideologically irritating accusations or bitter pride, "God, Don't Give Up on Us" takes the pain and hope of war and strings it across the beautiful background of her incredible voice — without pointing fingers or taking sides. "Forgive our dark desires, and the pain we've caused / Please don't close Your eyes, to the part of us / That's beautiful … still beautiful."
Other highlights of the album include "When Gentry Plays Guitar," which should speak straight to the heart of anyone susceptible to falling for musicians. "The girls at the bar watch him roll away the stone / Pisces Apple Lady, Delta Queen / He lets down his long brown hair, I wish he belonged to me / But he don't, he belongs to the song and the melody." The sparkling acoustic and steel guitars are leisurely and cheerful, oblivious to the wistful words of a girl who can't get the guitar-playing guy to tear his attention away from his music.
Most of the other tracks are forgettable, ordinary love songs, but even these are fun and easy listening. One of the best of these is the swaying, darker sounding "I Bring It to You." Andrews shows her range with glossy low notes that soar impressively with the chorus: "I bring it to you / There's magic in all that you do / I bring you the scraps that make up my soul."
One of the most inspired love songs is the wonderful "Cowboy Guarantee." Even though Andrews has much less of a traditional country sound than older artists, even with the ever-present fiddles and steel guitars, the lyrics of "Cowboy Guarantee" are classic country. The lonely fiddle interlude complements the sad, dreamy song: "Beneath the stars and Texas moonlight I gave my heart away / But you can't tame a river and I wouldn't want to try."
Unfortunately, while Andrews can sing with the best of Nashville, she shows her youth and inexperience when she tries her hand at songwriting. The two songs she helps write, "There's More to Me Than You" and "Good Time," are bouncy and bright in tempo but lacking in lyrical creativity and fresh sound. However, patient listeners can hear the far superior version of the first song, which is a hidden track recorded as a ballad at the end of the album.
Even though there are weak tracks with a distinctly recycled resonance, Andrews displays versatility and depth with many of the songs on Now. With her standout vocals and immediately likable melodies, Andrews will only get better with age.
Contact Christie Bolsen at Bolsen.1@nd.edu
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, April 29, 2003
