"The Hardest Part"
Allison Moorer's talent is so obvious,
the strength of her conviction so apparent, that you wind up
doubting if she's really as good as she sounds. Strangely enough,
Moorer's older sister Shelby Lynne moved away from Nashville
and emerged with one of the surprise hits of 2000, the Southern
soul-drenched I Am Shelby Lynne. Allison Moorer, on the other
hand, stayed in Nashville, took control of the artistic reins,
and emerged with a sophomore effort on a major country label
that is strikingly similar to and nearly as varied as her sister's
breakthrough. "It's Time I Tried," for one, is deep
Muscle Shoals soul while "Think It Over" could be a
Pretenders song. The buried finale is a haunting Southern gothic
ballad. Mix in a few bluegrass inflections here, some countrypolitan
there, and infuse it all with classic honky-tonk misery, and
it's clear that Allison Moorer will not be tied down to any genre
designation, Nashville or not. Her sumptuous voice not only packs
a punch, but it can also bob and weave to great effect. Consider
that she not only coproduced the album but also cowrote each
tune, and any doubts about her talents begin to vanish. --Marc
Greilsamer |
