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Sarah Johns - Big Love In A Small Town

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Sarah Johns - Big Love in a Small Town

Sarah Johns - Big Love in a Small Town

BNA Nashville / Sony BMG
Bottom Line:

Spunky and sassy are two words I would use to describe Sarah Johns. Her debut album, Big Love In A Small Town is an absolute pleasure to listen to and it has a great country sound throughout the eleven tracks. Give it a try.

Before I was able to listen to Sarah Johns' full album, I had only heard "The One In The Middle." It's hard to gauge what will be on a debut album solely going by the first single released, but I held hope for her. For some reason I tend to lean toward liking the male country singers and being harder on the mainstream females. Maybe because there's a stronger tendency for them to have more of a pop music sound. That sound is okay, but not something I want to constantly hear. You can tell Sarah has country in her blood because it shows on this collection. Another plus is the fact Sarah co-wrote each and every song on Big Love In A Small Town.

"When Do I Get To Be A Woman" sounds almost like an anthem to all the hard working women out there. From doing housework, running the kids to daycare, working for a living during the day, and then coming home to laundry and mopping; Sarah wants to know when she can have some time to herself. "God knows I'm thankful. I don't mean to whine. But there's just some days I could use a break," she sings. I think maybe this should have been released as Sarah's first single. The next song, "If You Could Hold Your Woman," is one of those you wish you could have written. It's just too good. Instead of turning to Jack Daniels when the man was having problems, he should have found comfort in his loving wife. She thought her love would be enough to turn him around, but she was wrong. Now it's too late and she's outta there.

Sarah Johns

Sarah Johns

BMG Nashville
Showcasing Sarah's softer side are songs like "Baby My Heart," which is about a woman who likes to act tough and independent, but she wants to be loved and held without fear of a broken heart. In "Touch Me," the woman just wants to be touched and kissed like she used to, since she and her man have drifted apart. She misses the intimacy that used to be a regular part of their life together. She begs him to whisper words she hasn't heard from him lately.

The slowest song on the album is "It's Hard To Be A Girl (In A Young Man's World)," but it is also the most emotive. A woman wants to let a man know how much she likes him, but she doesn't want to be forward by telling him she wants more than friendship. She is the kind of girl who can speak her mind but for some reason when it comes to this guy she can't make sense of things. Another slower/mid-tempo song to check out is "That's Just Me Getting Over You."

Many people take the first ticket out of the town they grew up in, trying to make a name for themselves elsewhere. Then again, there are others who like where they were raised and prefer a "Big Love In A Small Town." They might not be a power couple somewhere in a big city but they have each other, children, and all the love they could ask for. That's what really matters when it comes down to it.

I love the sass on "The One In The Middle." This song makes it clear that the man is not getting married to this woman and instead of being able to put a ring on her finger, he gets the one that's a little bit longer. At the end of the song the woman instructs him to "read between the lines" if he doesn't quite understand. If you have a chance to listen to this album, you won't have to read between the lines to know how good it is. Sarah Johns has a remarkable debut album on her hands.

Track List:

  1. When Do I Get to Be a Woman
  2. If You Could Hold Your Woman
  3. Lot to Let Go Of
  4. Baby My Heart
  5. Big Love in a Small Town
  6. Touch Me
  7. The One in the Middle
  8. That's Just Me Getting Over You
  9. He Hates Me
  10. Muddy Water
  11. It's Hard to Be a Girl (In a Young Man's World)

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