| Something Worth Leaving Behind - Lee Ann Womack | |
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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb
With each release, Lee Ann Womack keeps up with the current musical trends, yet also holds on to her traditional country roots and Something Worth Leaving Behind is no different. Her voice can be tender one minute and then full of fun the next, which is why I have always been a big fan of her music.
The album starts off with first single, "Something Worth Leaving Behind," a song that is along the same lines as the musical sounds in "I Hope You Dance." The subject matter, however, is about how even though not everyone will become famous or do something as important as holding a pen that writes a symphony, as long as you love someone and it is passed down from generation to generation then you should feel just as proud.
"I Saw Your Light," the longest song on the album, begins with an electric guitar before Lee Ann's soft voice gently sings a slow, reflective song about a past relationship. What is nice about this song is that it is not sappy or bitter, but is a beautiful remembrance of the special things they experienced together as their hearts grew deeper in love. Despite the relationship ending, there was good that came of it because now she feels like she is a stronger person for seeing the positives in another person.
There is a seventies vibe to the tune "When You Gonna Run To Me," where the woman wants to know when the man will stop running away from her because she knows that in the end he will come back and be right by her side. All of his time and reasons are running out so he might as well get the hard part over with and come crawling back to her before she walks away for good.
"I Need You," written by Julie Miller, has a rockin' sound like nothing you have ever heard from Lee Ann. The closest she has come to this might have been "Ashes By Now," but even that was not nearly as heavy. According to the song, if you feel the urge to satisfy this girl, you will need money, kisses, and everything else this wild child wants - including the ability to fix every aspect of her life because of the crazy messed up problems she has.
A wonderful mixture of slow fifties style country with a little bit of jazz thrown in, "He'll Be Back" tells a story of a woman hanging on to the thought that her man really did not leave for good and that he will come back "if he is anything like his memory." He left in the morning but at night at least she has the dreams to remember him by as she reminisces about early morning kisses and old friends that visited.
A lyrical masterpiece is found on "Blame It On Me," written by Bruce Robison (who also supplies wonderful background harmonies). Instead of blaming a breakup on the man, she takes the entire burden and places it on herself as she sings about not being the picture of any man's dreams. She feels like she did wrong by holding him too close and think that forever was a possibility.
This album is contemporary and traditional all at the same time which is something that would be hard to accomplish for most singers in today's country scene, yet Lee Ann Womack has proven that she knows were her roots are and she does not want to forget her background as she continues to delve into different sounds as well.
Song List:
Sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
Album cover courtesy of MCA Nashville
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