Chely Wright Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Chely Wright wasn't the only female country vocalist to straddle the line between neo-traditional country and slick modern country-pop, but she was one of the best of her kind, thanks in large part to her earthy tenor, which gave even the poppiest songs a rooting in real country. In 1999 she had a breakthrough with Single White Female, whose title track not only topped the country charts but cracked the pop Top 40, but she had a hard time capitalizing on its success, stumbling with its 2001 sequel, Never Love You Enough, which may have charted higher than its predecessor, but that was only due to momentum. It not only didn't produce a big hit, it led to a separation from her major label, MCA. When she re-emerged nearly four years later on the indie Dualtone, she was part of a wave of artists from the '90s who turned toward indies after being abandoned by the majors, a movement that resulted in a bunch of interesting records that found artists who played the Nashville game for the better part of ten years finding their true voice nearly a decade into their career. Sometimes the results were uneven, but they were always interesting and often were quite good, sometimes resulting in the riskiest and best work of an artist's career, as is the case with Wright's 2005 album, The Metropolitan Hotel. For the first time, Wright wrote or co-wrote the majority of the material -- eight of the 12 songs bear a writing credit for her -- and produced the entire record herself (five songs were co-produced with Jeff Huskins, one was co-produced with Stephony Smith). While she hasn't completely abandoned the sound of contemporary country-pop -- many of the songs could comfortably slip onto the radio -- the sound is stripped-back and direct, as is the emotion, which gives The Metropolitan Hotel an affecting immediacy. Not that all of it works -- the cloying "The Bumper of My S.U.V." is well-intentioned but is one of the more awkward Iraqi war songs -- but those missteps only enhance the feeling that this album is a personal work for Wright, and that she's willing to make mistakes along the way. Even if this is riskier than her previous albums, this album is still a hybrid of melodic, catchy contemporary country and the gutsy spirit of such '70s trailblazers as Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, and for every confessional like "Between a Mother and a Child" there are two or three engaging open-ended tales of love. And that's what makes The Metropolitan Hotel such a success -- it's the sound of a professional musician finding the right blend of personal of universal in her writing and the right blend of country and pop in her production, resulting in a record that's fully realized and multi-dimensional, easily her best and most complete album to date. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Personable and traditional, Wright is the bland new face of country. On 1999's Single White Female, she struck a feminist pose for all 21st century Dixie chicks, taking the voice of the modern everywoman on a cycle of songs detailing the little parts of working and non-working relationships. This more conservative follow-up finds her back on the farm, still tracking the ins and outs of love, but accompanied by a shrugging indifference. Ultimately, it orbits around the concept of love as an unquestionable force, even something to fall back on. Single White Female was all about breaking from tradition; Never Love You Enough is about getting it all back. Sometime at the turn of the century, Wright got the idea that being a single female is no way to spend the new millennium. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Chely Wright reunited with producer Tony Brown -- the man behind hit records by George Strait and Reba McEntire, as well as Wright's own Let Me In -- for her fourth album, Single White Female. The record picks up where its predecessor left off, offering a selection of ten songs with clean, tasteful arrangments that place Wright in the forefront. If the songs aren't always immediately grabbing, they're all classy, well-written tunes that slowly work their way into memory. Even when Wright and Brown shoot for the charts, such as on the big chorus of "The Love That We Lost," they pull it off, since Chely never oversings and the instrumentation is never bombastic. She still sounds her best on ballads, but her uptempo numbers -- including the clever title track and "The Fire" -- are equally convincing, which is one of the main reasons that Single White Female is a welcome addition to an already impressive catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For her third album, Chely Wright switched record labels and teamed up with producer Tony Brown, who helmed the boards for records by George Strait and Reba McEntire, among others. Brown stripped Wright's music down to the core -- for much of Let Me In, she's singing over clean acoustic arrangements; only a few cuts are adorned with pop/rock instrumentation. Wright benefits from the spare arrangements, which only emphasize her lovely voice and charisma. The result is her most accomplished and arguably best album to date. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
'Right in the Middle of It'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 11
Label Polydor Nashville
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This 1996 album, Right in the Middle of It, is the sophomore offering from award-winning country singer Chely Wright. The recording is filled with both ballads and fast-paced numbers, and features plenty of natural country twang. Wright has enough vocal talents to handle the ballads and enough energy to carry the toe-tappers. This might only be her second album, but she's had plenty of singing experience, starting with family get-togethers when she was a small child, where singalongs with fiddles and guitars were the norm. Before she hit her teens she had already formed a country band of her own. Early on Wright was exposed to music greats like Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Connie Smith, and Conway Twitty. Many of those influences can be heard in the songs on Right in the Middle of It. Wright, also a gifted songwriter, penned three of the tunes on this album: "The Other Woman," "Gotta Get Good at Givin' Again," and the title track. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
