Wright Makes the Right Choices on New Set and More
T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 07/23/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Prime Cuts: Like An Angel, Love Me Anyway, I Don't Want to Be That Strong
Crossing the 49th Parallel to her native Canada, Michelle Wright's commercial virility takes a whole eminent turn. While Wright's only entry into the US Billboard top 10 ("Take It Like a Man") was over a decade ago, over across the border, she is Canadian country's apotheosis. With numerous top 40 hits under her belt, gold and platinum studded albums, and numerous Juno Awards, this Ontario native has enthralled her compatriots with hits such as "I Surrender," "Nobody's Girl," "Take It Like A Man," "Your Love" and "He Would Be Sixteen." Already preceded by 3 singles, "Everything and More," is the well-anticipated non-seasonal CD that follows 2002's "Shut Up and Kiss Me." Helmed by Nashville writers turned producers Tony Haselden and Russ Zavitson, this new effort continues the pop-country direction paved by her previous releases imbued with her signature blues-drenched alto.
Prudence has the upper hand in Wright's choice of material here. An instant ear opener being "Love Me Anyway," a ballad that journalizes the regrets of a woman who had chosen a career over her material instincts of having a baby, is performed with a palpable sense of personal urgency making this one of Wright's performances since "He Would Be Sixteen." "Like an Angel," on the other hand, possess a fairytale-like romantic vibe that easily contagious. While the Tim Mensy and Tony Haselden ballad "I Don't Want to Be That Strong" is cloaked in fiddle-laden finery with streaks of mournful steel guitars that bring out the rustic side of Wright elegantly.
On the more propulsive side, Tony Haselden and Craig Bickhardt service their compositional skillS on "Dance in the Boat." Though far from sea-parting, "Dance in a Boat" is a bluesy-Delbert-McClinton romp with a catchy hook. While beckoning rock guitar of "Everything and More" calls to attention the exigency to care for the underprivileged, a cause dear to Wright's heart. Humor gets a chance to rear its head on "My Give a Damn's Busted," a track that can also be found on CDs by Jo Dee Messina and Joe Diffie. "Busted" tells of a frustrated gal who could "give a damn's busted" about her guy's flabby alibis. Wright does put her sturdy alto to great effect on the R&B-tingled Sunny Russ-penned "Riding Around the Sun," where fortitude is encouraged in the light of God's sovereignty when Wright sings: "It's out of my control, but I do my best. I worry way too much and then I let God have the rest."
Unfortunately, a couple of fillers, such as the downright silly "Voodoo" and the sonically messy "Something Wild" impede this release from being a magnum opus. Nevertheless, this are enough tunes here that follow In the lofty standard set by Wright's catalog of hits. Vocally, Wright sings her heart out, but the prize is in her subtle emotional nuances that made some of her ballads irresistibly alluring. After all these years, Wright still makes the right turns and more."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1