'Call Me Crazy'
What The Critics Say
There are few vocalists in contemporary country music who can make a sad song feel so good. Lee Ann Womack is a poetess in her expressiveness. She uses it not only to communicate what's in the lyrics she sings, but also to arrest the listener's disbelief by underscoring her commitment to the dictum that positive change is always possible if you can survive the darkness. Call Me Crazy is Womack's first album in three years, a follow-up to her game-changing There's More Where That Came From. It walks a schizophrenic line both emotionally and musically: some moments recall the elegant, '70s pop-country sound that she consciously evoked on her previous disc, and there are others that are startlingly contemporary even by today's standards. Produced by Tony Brown, Call Me Crazy underscores his greatest strength: getting the essence of a vocalist across in a mix; but also his greatest weakness: the seeming inability to leave a musical backdrop until it's cluttered to death. The set's opener, "Last Call," is a classic example of what makes Womack such a fascinating and emotionally resonant singer. This is a weeper, but also a song with its self-determination intact. The protagonist sees a phone number on her cell, and knows just who it is, but doesn't answer. She knows her former lover is in a bar and desperate, listening to cheating songs and drinking. She refuses to answer because she knows she's always his last call. The weave of acoustic guitars, a lonesome pedal steel, grand piano, fretless bass, and mandolin make it unmistakable as a country song, but it's not militant in either its arrangement or vocal. She's half sorry but experientially past the moment of returning to earlier mistakes. Smack dab in the middle of the album is "The Bees," a tune with a folksy country melody, but with an instrumental and sonic arrangement that feels like Tom Waits meets Brian Eno! It's almost sci-fi it feels so out of place, but it also feels like she should have done an entire record like this with its pump organ, deep, slapping basslines, dirty drums, and loops allowing her vocal an entirely new depth. (If this were the single there might be hope for contemporary country yet.) But there is some real snooze-worthy stuff here too. The hollow "The King of Broken Hearts" features Womack doing her best Dolly Parton but the mix fails to ignite. Likewise, "The Story of My Life" can't decide whether it wants to be a modern production number or a simple country song. Womack contributed three fine songs to the set, the plaintive, tender "Have You Seen That Girl," a lilting honky tonk waltz called "If These Walls Could Talk," and, the wildly over-produced "Everything but Quits," a duet with George Strait -- a great song all but ruined by Brown's studio excesses. Despite a couple of missteps, there is plenty to like here. Call Me Crazy continues Womack's journey of creating her own sonic brand. Perhaps next time she will flex her star power more and insist on more production control. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'There's More Where That Came From'
What The Critics Say
Lee Ann Womack has always been more comfortable with country-pop than hardcore country, sounding relaxed and assured in smoother surroundings. That friendliness helped Womack become one of the most popular country singers of the late '90s, and it's what made her albums enjoyable even when they were a little bit too slick or relied on material that was just this side of generic. There's More Where That Came From, her fifth proper studio album and first after her 2004 Greatest Hits compilation, is still firmly within the country-pop confines, but there's a notable difference -- as the rather brilliant cover art suggests, this hearkens back to the sound and style of early-'70s country-pop albums from the likes of Barbara Mandrell, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton. Not that this is a retro effort, or anything like a stab at neo-traditionalist country. Instead, Womack takes her inspiration from these records, crafting a record that's laid-back but never lazy, smooth but never too slick, tuneful without being cloying. While it's not far removed from her earlier albums, There's More Where That Came From has a warmer feel, a textured, colorful production, and, best of all, a strong set of songs that may be highlighted by the cheater's anthem of the title track, but has 11 songs of equally high quality. All this adds up to an album that's not only the best album that Lee Ann Womack has yet made, but one that does suggest that there is indeed more where this came from. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Cardinal rule number one for introducing new holiday songs amidst a sea of newly arranged classics: Make them compelling! No doubt she hopes that listeners will slow dance to the title track of her first holiday offering, but, despite its sweet sentiment, it's one of the handful of bland tracks amidst many that are far more interesting. The most unique choice Lee Ann Womack makes is moving away from her comfy country roots and doing a traditional jazz/big band-flavored party for the season at hand. Her wry duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Harry Connick, Jr. is fully of sultry cool and sassy personality -- qualities the disc's other ballads could use more of. The medley of "Let It Snow/Winter Wonderland" is rendered in a classic '50s crooner fashion, with rising splashes of horn section complementing her lush vocals. That same tenderness serves her well on a sparse, folksy arrangement of "Silent Night," a mood she balances with sassy swingers like "The Man With the Bag." Even if there's some unevenness here, the disc in general lives up to its title concept. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Something Worth Leaving Behind'
What The Critics Say
Lee Ann Womack scored her contemporary country music critical breakthrough with I Hope You Dance in 2000. Almost universally acclaimed, it showcased the singer's exceptionally wide range. While her platinum-selling self-titled debut made the critics take notice -- as usual in this genre, only underscoring what country music programmers, DJs, and listeners already knew -- and her sophomore issue, Some Things I Know, multiplied her fan base, I Hope You Dance was cited as a "career album," meaning that it wouldn't get much better. The pundits were wrong. Something Worth Leaving Behind cemented Womack's place in the country music pantheon by pushing her own boundaries as an artist further than ever before. Her seemingly effortless cruise through honky tonk, country-pop ballads, and searing midtempo "message" numbers serves her well on this wildly adventurous collection of songs. Stepping into the producer's chair for the first time -- along with longtime producers Mark Wright and Frank Liddell and newcomers Matt Serletic and Mike McCarthy -- Womack fills the album with some off-center, nearly alt-country cuts by Bruce Robison (the gorgeous ballad "Blame It on Me") and a pair by the now reclusive Julie Miller (the poignant "Orphan Train" and rollicking funky gospel tune "I Need You"), who also sings backup on the set. Added to this are tracks by mainstream successes Monty Powell ("When You Gonna Run to Me"), Gretchen Peters (the stellar and anthemic "I Saw Your Light"), and Brett Beavers (two versions of the title track) -- who accounted for the singles here. But it isn't just the mix of tunes. It's the performers themselves. Producer and guitar ace Kenny Greenberg handled the arrangements; former Joe Ely and John Mellencamp guitar slinger David Grissom is here and also contributed a tune; another former Mellencamp ace turned country session musician Kenny Aronoff mans the drum kit; and Greg Leisz, master of lap steel, pedal steel, and Dobro (or anything with strings called a guitar) is here as well -- as are many others. Womack nailed it on Something Worth Leaving Behind. It may not have sold quite as well as her previous offerings, but record biz folks were happy just the same, and it achieved an even higher level of acclaim than any of her preceding records, eking out a place in the CD collections of fans of rock, pop, and even adult alternative music in the process. Finally, more than any of her previous recordings, Something Worth Leaving Behind gave her the confidence and authority necessary to record her masterpiece, 2005's There's More Where That Came From. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a platinum-selling self-titled debut and a gold follow-up with Some Things I Know, Lee Ann Womack just keeps getting better. Billboard calls it "a career record." I Hope You Dance is one of the finest albums to hit country music post Shania Twain. Womack possesses such a sweet, melodious voice and its distinctiveness graces every one of the 12 tracks like they were chosen just for her vocals. But it's the album's title track, a dedication to Womack's daughters (and featuring the Sons of the Desert) that will leave you feeling swept away. (Her daughters, Aubrie and Anna Lise, who were ages 9 and 1 [respectively] at the time, appear in the video with her.) "Don't let some hardened heart leave you bitter/When you come close to selling out, reconsider/Give the heavens above more than a passing glance/And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance." Listeners will undoubtedly dance to I Hope You Dance. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
'Lee Ann Womack'
What The Critics Say
Lee Ann Womack's eponymous debut showcases a promising country vocalist who is more comfortable with ballads and pop than down-home honky tonk. The slick, professional production helps make this self-titled album a pleasant listen, despite the fairly uneven songwriting, and Womack certainly has a voice that can make the mediocre sound appealing, which results in a winning debut. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
