I Am Shelby Lynne Won't Leave Me Alone
It's been 10 years since Shelby Lynne reasserted herself with the seductive and surprising I Am Shelby Lynne and ultimately won a Grammy for best new artist. From the first phrase -- "Your lies won't lee-eave me ... alone" -- I was obsessed. In my opinion, it remains an essential break-up record, partly because she seems so conflicted about the whole situation. One minute she's saying goodbye for the last time ("Leavin"); the next, she can't wait to fly home for some lovin' ("Gotta Get Back"). It's all quite a roller coaster. Or as she sings, "I'm lookin' up for the next thing that brings me down." The production by Bill Bottrell is intriguing without getting in the way, just as it should be.
The momentum from I Am Shelby Lynne crested at the Grammys in 2001, yet country fans knew that Lynne had already released several records, including an exceptional album called Restless that still swings hard. Although it didn't make many waves upon its release in 1995, it's now available digitally and definitely worth rediscovering. (I first found it through its sassy hit video, "Slow Me Down.") I've heard George Jones call Lynne one of the greatest country singers that Nashville has ever known and I'd like to echo that endorsement. Her strong, sultry alto commands your attention on "Talkin' to Myself Again," written by Jamie O'Hara and prominently featuring John Hughey on steel guitar and Randy Howard on fiddle. It's a heartbreaker. There's also a forgotten Craig Wiseman/Kent Blazy cheating ballad called "I'm Not the One" that kills me every single time.
By the way, she'll be releasing a new album on her own label in April titled Tears, Lies and Alibis. Just like all of her albums since I Am Shelby Lynne, I'm curious to hear where she's going next.
Photo By: Ron Galella, Ltd. WireImage
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Lori says:
I LOVE her voice!
elizabeth says:
Looking forward to the new album. Now here is a singer.
alex in ca says:
aLLISON is way better
shelby can sing blues, jazz, lounge music, that’s it, and she’s not much of a songwriter
alex in ca says:
did she get a boob job?
alex in ca says:
there’s something viril in the way she looks, that turns me on, I can’t explain it, she likes to party, drink, carouse, while allison is the stay at home type…
Lorain says:
Alex…………do your ears really work like they were designed to? Shelby can’t write? you need to give all of her material another listen and buy a hearing aid to assist you!! She’s got the rare gift to write, compose and perform her own material. She’s a gem that Nashville kicked aside. Their loss is definitely our gain!!! Now, go listen to “I won’t die alone” or “telephone” and have a glass of wine!!