Platinum country artist Sara Evans has released an all-covers album, and I LOVE it! And honestly, one of the things I love the most is that she doesn’t try to prove how cool she is by covering a song few people have heard of from some band like Neutral Milk Hotel. In fact, the most contemporary song on the album is by John Mayer.
Nor does she try to recapture country greatness by including Waylon or Cash. I mean Patsy Cline is here, and she covers Hank’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” but honestly that song has become a mainstream ditty at this point. And Old Crow Medicine Show provide some terrific support.
Evans’ selections are unabashedly pop, including songs that have shown up on dozens of covers albums before her, like Come On Eileen and If I Can’t Have You. (By the way: “Eileen” is the rare song that is always good, no matter who sings it.) Fleetwood Mac is represented. So is Carole King.
And even the lesser-covered songs were huge hits when they came out, like 6th Avenue Heartache or the Kenny Loggins ballad, “Whenever I Call You Friend.”
She doesn’t even change the tunes up a lot. She doesn’t need to. She’s got a great voice, and the arrangements are unique enough that they feel fresh. She even includes the coda on Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.”
In the days of COVID and an insane President who seems hell-bend on destroying this country, sometimes you just need pop music to feel good about life.
Well done, Ms. Evans. This is an all-covers gem.
Also:
A classic rock sound is featured on Fiona Silver’s Hostage of Love. Very nice.
And a mainstream Americana feel comes with Jamie Wyatt’s new collection of original songs…
