Country/Blues/Americana mainstay Shelby Lynne returns this month with her much anticipated Tears, Lies, and Alibis. The album is her first for her newly formed label, Everso Records. The last time Lynne took control of her own career she won a Grammy for her especially successful I Am Shelby Lynne album, so how much better could she be on her own label!? Well, that depends on what you like best about her music.
Tears, Lies, and Alibis is a very fitting title for this record. It’s full of all three of those things both lyrically and musically. It opens with a semi-poppy number called “Rains Came” that surprised me a bit at first. It’s kind of a sixties Country Pop number with a little more vibrant vocal. It’s followed by the Carole King-esque “Why Didn’t You Call Me,” which is a little too seventies pop for my tastes but I’m sure a lot of people who like the troubadour sound from that era will really dig it. From there, the album takes on a more somber and traditional tone, pulling on your heartstrings in big ways. The intimate tone of the remainder of this album honestly makes the first two songs seem more than a little out of place. From the deep, soul-searching of “Like a Fool” to the bare, western, aggressive sound of “Family Tree” (my personal favorite track here) to the storyteller sound of “Old Dog,” Lynne is definitely at her best when it is just she and her trusty acoustic guitar.
Overall, this is a good album if you are a fan of traditional Country or Americana. Lynne tries to branch out a bit on this and it works in isolated spots but she can’t seem to escape the intimate moments that change the tone from good to great. Die hard fans will be extremely pleased with this while more casual listeners may be a little surprised by its low key nature. For me, it’s something I have to be in the right mood for. I enjoy this album but not in the same way that I’ve enjoyed the last couple of albums. Regardless, Everso Records is already taking Lynne to new places and may be proof that the best is yet to come.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
