When y’all get sick and tired of the fluff and pretension of pop and the assorted hybrids of R&B and modern rock, there are people like Terri Clark that can offer an antidote.
The Medicine Hat singer doesn’t get carried away with Nashville gadgetry on her 10th album, Some Songs. Whether by design or just point of view, the record is a blunt and easy going dose of country rock without frills.
With song titles like I Cheated on You and Better With My Boots On, Clark dispenses with pleasantries and cuts straight to the point. She’s in the same place as singers like Miranda Lambert, who mix the outlaw stance with irreverent humour and blunt language.
It’s stupid and fun.
Song Songs has a mid-range, confident sound and Clark never sounds like she’s pushing herself. She twangs easily in a low-end frequency and the production and writing style is a singer/band effort, rather than a producer/vocalist project.
Because of the “aw shucks” vibe, some tracks have a hint of cliché (Just Add Water), but the overall atmosphere is that of a good time, straight ahead mix of light rock and rough country. There is no eloquence or insights to be found on Some Songs, but Clark and her band have cranked up some tunes, found their track and rolled on.
– Dean Gordon-Smith is Vernon-based musician who reviews new music releases for The Morning Star every Friday.
