Sara Evans - "Slow Me Down"

[fe_lipeoliveira]

1."Slow Me Down" (Marv Green, Heather Morgan, Jimmy Robbins) 3:15
2."Not Over You" (featuring Gavin DeGraw) (Gavin DeGraw, Ryan Tedder) 3:52
3."Put My Heart Down" (Nathan Chapman, Andrew Dorff, Liz Huett) 3:16
4."Can't Stop Loving You" (duet with Isaac Slade of The Fray) (Victoria Banks, Phil Barton, Emily Shackleton) 3:35
5."You Never Know" (Sara Evans, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne) 3:59
6."If I Run" (Evans, Karyn Rochelle, Shane Stevens) 3:33
7."Sweet Spot" (Evans, Rochelle, Stevens) 3:02
8."Good Love Is Hard to Find" (Dave Berg, busbee, Sarah Buxton) 3:33
9."Better Off" (featuring Vince Gill) ( Marla Cannon-Goodman, Rochelle) 4:01
10."I Gotta Have You" (Banks, Barton, Shackleton) 3:25
11."Revival" (Darrell Brown, Jay Clementi, Radney Foster) 4:01

CMT has it up for stream HERE

[Hunter]

I know in a lot of interviews about the album, she's said that she's singing higher and challenging herself more vocally than she ever has. SHE. WAS. NOT. LYING!

I love the direction she's taken with this one! I hear a lot of what has made Carrie Underwood successful in these tracks. (Maybe it's Mark Bright?)

"Better Off" should satisfy all the 'Three Chords and the Truth' fans; "Revival" will be a missed opportunity if not released as a single; all these tracks are great!

[bigfan101]

Can't Stop Lovin' You is a easy choice for me for the next single. Overall a strong album after first listen. More comments to come.

[George Strait Junkie]

Mar 3, 2014 11:42:48 GMT -5 Hunter said:

"Better Off" should satisfy all the 'Three Chords and the Truth' fans;

Oh really well considering thats the only album of hers i own and love to death i'm gonna go and listen to that song then

[George Strait Junkie]

Better off is a great song i'll have to buy that song on itunes when the album drops. i tried listening to the full record nope not happening not something for me.

[.indulgecountry]

Ughhh, I really wanna wait until next week when I can buy the album to listen for the first time, but this being available for streaming already is so tempting.

[echocountry]

I vote for Put My Heart Down for the next radio single, it's really great seems like classic Sara song!

[zjames]

Put My Heart Down, Can't Stop Loving You, and Better Off are the early standouts for me. I agree with bigfan101 that Can't Stop Loving You should definitely be the next single. This is a strong album throughout; the only song I can't quite get into is the Not Over You cover.

[Spacey_Kacey]

Eh, not really feeling this album. There's a few cuts that I find interesting, but overall it seems a little too bland. I'll probably pick and choose a couple tracks. "You Never Know" is definitely my favorite and I'll probably get "Better Off" too. The covers of "Not Over You" and "Revival are pretty neat, but I probably won't go out of my way to buy a cover.

Though I don't love it, "Put My Heart Down" probably makes the best single option for this era. "Can't Stop Lovin' You" is probably under consideration as well, but for a 3rd single I'd prefer "You Never Know". That should be able to work. "If I Run" or "Revival" could be a dark horse contender for a single, but I'd stick with 2 of those first 3.

Not a huge fan of "Slow Me Down" the lead single, but I get why it was chosen from this list. Only "Put My Heart Down" makes more sense from a radio perspective.

This album was going to have to be a career album to top Stronger for me. I still love that one a lot.

[bigfan101]

I love Stronger still as well, but this was a strong effort from her as well for me.

The only song I also didn't like was the Not Over You cover. It just didnt work.

For singles, I would go:
1. Slow Me Down
2. Cant Stop Lovin' You
3. Put My Heart Down
4. You Never Know/If I Run

Revival is just not single material to me.

[sabre14]

Very good album from Sara. I love the feel of this album and every track feels like an extension of the previous one. I agree that the most throwback country track "Better Off" is fantastic. My standouts were "Better Off", "Can't Stop Loving You", "Put My Heart Down", "Good Love Is Hard To Find", and "Revival". Even "Sweet Spot" had a cool vibe to it. Sara's vocal ability is certainly challenged on this album, and "Slow Me Down" was a nice early showcase for that.

Overall, I don't quite think I like this as much as Restless or Real Fine Place which are my two favorite Sara albums, but I too love the direction she took with this album and it would be nice to see "Can't Stop Loving You" as the next single though "Put My Heart Down" I wouldn't argue with either. I must say that Sara being in my top 5 favorite artists makes my take on it a bit slanted but I do believe its a good album but not among my all-time favorite albums of hers.

[austin]

The first seven tracks are outstanding and the last four are OK. Overall, a good record. Definitely hoping for a successful single or two from it.

After listening more and more, I would release "Put My Heart Down" next and then "Sweet Spot" as the third single.

[Deleted]

Best track on the album, "Better Off". This is real country, kind of takes me back to the Real Fine Place album, which is, in my opinion, Sara's best album all around. "A Little Revival" is also cool. Overall this is a pretty good album, though, I wish she would go back to the sound of Real Fine Place, that's where she shines.

[bboat11]

So I was going to wait until next week, but I just couldn't do it!

Now on to my opinion: Underwhelmed. Or maybe I'm overwhelmed? I can't tell! The problem for me is the production. It is so dang heavy and loud that the vocals are completely drowned out in the chorus of just about every song. This album makes even her edgier pop-leaning songs like "Feels Just Like A Love Song" sound like "Three Chords and the Truth". I could see most of the songs being successful on the radio, if only I didn't have to block out a wall of sound to catch the words. I worry that this overhanded production will sound cheesy and bombastic in 5 years, whereas if I put "Restless" into my cd player it still sounds every bit as fresh as it did when it was brand new.

Also, what is the deal with the fact that there are like no ballads on the entire album? "Better Off" counts, but the rest of the album is like stepping into the pop top 40 playlist.

Aside from those gripes, I enjoy every single one of these songs. There is not a single stinker in the bunch! I will just need to spend more time with the individual tracks to be able to pick out my favorites and make objective judgements on all of them :) So far, I could see any of them doing well on the radio, with my favorites being "Sweet Spot", "Put My Heart Down", and "Revival".


Edit: On further listen, I am finding my opinion to be much improved! I just re-listened to some of the tracks earlier while making dinner; I set my laptop down and had it playing on the speakers, and that sounded SO MUCH BETTER! It is like the less-powerful speakers sounded better than the iPod headphones I listened with earlier. I could actually hear all the words, and it wasn't just a wash of production. So, let it be noted that my complaints are diminishing rapidly with only the second listen!


Edit #2: Damn, this album is catchy... Haha I feel stupid for my initial reservations now! I do still think it is overproduced, but I have definitely warmed up to the sound :)

[Hunter]

It seems like a lot of objections to this album is because it doesn't sound like the "classical Sara."

To me, that's why I love it.

Classical Sara takes four hundred years to reach the top of the charts, and that's assuming she even breaks Top 30.
Classical Sara limited her range on albums but belted it out at live concerts. So if they liked her shows, her CDs would disappoint, thus inconsistency.
Classical Sara would probably go with 'Put My Heart Down' as a follow-up single, but I'm hoping she'll shake things up a bit more.

I think the New Sara has finally adopted the "now or never" method and is putting it to great use on this album! As I've said previously in this thread, she is definitely singing higher, challenging herself more vocally, I'm hearing more runs & riffs, and using her full vibrato where she previously didn't. New Sara is fighting for something different because I think she's recognized a need to change and evolve to keep up with all the dominant males & two or three females at Country radio.

She's my favorite singer in the known world, and I've been such a long-time fan of hers. I welcome this new sound/direction!

[matty005]

Mar 4, 2014 18:15:23 GMT -5 Hunter said:

It seems like a lot of objections to this album is because it doesn't sound like the "classical Sara."

To me, that's why I love it.

Classical Sara takes four hundred years to reach the top of the charts, and that's assuming she even breaks Top 30.
Classical Sara limited her range on albums but belted it out at live concerts. So if they liked her shows, her CDs would disappoint, thus inconsistency.
Classical Sara would probably go with 'Put My Heart Down' as a follow-up single, but I'm hoping she'll shake things up a bit more.

I think the New Sara has finally adopted the "now or never" method and is putting it to great use on this album! As I've said previously in this thread, she is definitely singing higher, challenging herself more vocally, I'm hearing more runs & riffs, and using her full vibrato where she previously didn't. New Sara is fighting for something different because I think she's recognized a need to change and evolve to keep up with all the dominant males & two or three females at Country radio.

She's my favorite singer in the known world, and I've been such a long-time fan of hers. I welcome this new sound/direction!

It seems to be that her current single is following this trend.

I'm not a fan of this CD at all. I like Sara's music in the past, but this just is too blah for me. It came out at a time when Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and David Nail all released stellar albums so maybe I have just been spoiled by those. But I can't see her having more than one more "hit" off this album after, "Slow Me Down."

[musicbuff78]

I wasn't impressed with this at all. I didn't like her lead single and there was maybe one track that I cared for when I listened to the album yesterday and I think that was You Never Know....but that could be right and I may not know what the song was that I liked.

I think Better Off would have been just that on her debut album. Since in the early days of her career she was so against going mainstream and becoming more pop country, she has turned pop country and this one true sounding song just sounds totally out of place on this one.

For me, this pretty much left off as bad as her last album was. I, also, would have liked ballads. Oh....and her cover of Not Over You is just atrocious. I would have thought there would have been changes made to it to sound different than the original, but there really wasn't.

[Deleted]

Mar 4, 2014 19:03:42 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Mar 4, 2014 18:15:23 GMT -5 Hunter said:

Classical Sara takes four hundred years to reach the top of the charts, and that's assuming she even breaks Top 30.

It seems to be that her current single is following this trend.

I'm not a fan of this CD at all. I like Sara's music in the past, but this just is too blah for me. It came out at a time when Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and David Nail all released stellar albums so maybe I have just been spoiled by those. But I can't see her having more than one more "hit" off this album after, "Slow Me Down."

I was going to point out the same thing, regarding the bolded comment. "Slow Me Down" will be lucky if it makes the top 20 at this rate--I think it's the slowest-climbing single of her career so far...definitely a LOT slower than "A Little Bit Stronger" and even "My Heart Can't Tell You No". I don't think this makes for a good setup for future singles. I've loved most of Sara's music, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if what 43dudleyvillas predicted here isn't far off the mark.

Dec 30, 2013 10:30:00 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

Sara Evans will quietly part ways with RCA Nashville at the end of the year, after two singles and the release of her album.

I remember reading that prediction and thinking it might definitely be a possibility. I just get the sense that Sony/RCA's long-term plan is more focused on artists like Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Chris Young, and even Love & Theft.

Again, don't get me wrong--I'm not saying that it definitely will happen, but just that it doesn't seem all that unrealistic to me. Aside from Kenny Chesney, Sara is the longest-tenured artist at Sony Nashville and so with her declining success comes the possibility that she and the label might eventually part ways. She's been with them a long time and things have always been good there but if her 'well' of success starts to run dry, I don't think she'll last much longer (like Alan Jackson, Ronnie Dunn, Martina McBride, Montgomery Gentry, Josh Thompson, Gretchen Wilson, Jason Michael Carroll, Phil Vassar, and countless others).

It's just speculation...just a guess. But I'm just saying that it wouldn't surprise me if it came to pass.

[Dustin J.]

I just want to say that Sara Evans still looks absolutely stunning.

[layne]

I'm in the minority but I thought the best song was "Not Over You". After listening, I'm perplexed as to why they chose "Slow Me Down" as the lead single. I would like to see "You Never Know" as the next single.

[BlueShades874]

I've listened to this several times over the last couple days, and I think Sara did a great job on this album. Though a few of the songs in the bunch are somewhat forgettable, there really isn't a bad song on here. I actually love the Not Over You cover, it may be one of my favorite songs on here. Put My Heart Down, Can't Stop Loving You, If I Run and Good Love is Hard to Find are my favorites. I can see If I Run or Good Love is Hard to Find being hits later on down the road, but it seems that there are plenty of good songs to pick from for future singles. Better Off does sound like it could be on her debut album, except that her voice has obviously gotten much better since then. The only problem is, while it is a good song, it seems a little out of place being the one really traditional sounding song on the album. Overall, I'm a big fan of this album and hope Sara has a lot of success with it.

[mylifeback]

I'm loving this album & will definitely pick it up. I can hardly wait to listen to it in my car.

I loved the Not Over You cover, and having Gavin sing on it was a bonus for me. It's just a great song & I love this production better than on the original.

I've only listened a couple of times, but there aren't any skippers for me (not yet, anyway). I'm loving You Never Know right now.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 5, 2014 2:03:12 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

Mar 4, 2014 19:03:42 GMT -5 matty005 said:

It seems to be that her current single is following this trend.

I'm not a fan of this CD at all. I like Sara's music in the past, but this just is too blah for me. It came out at a time when Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Eli Young Band and David Nail all released stellar albums so maybe I have just been spoiled by those. But I can't see her having more than one more "hit" off this album after, "Slow Me Down."

I was going to point out the same thing, regarding the bolded comment. "Slow Me Down" will be lucky if it makes the top 20 at this rate--I think it's the slowest-climbing single of her career so far...definitely a LOT slower than "A Little Bit Stronger" and even "My Heart Can't Tell You No". I don't think this makes for a good setup for future singles. I've loved most of Sara's music, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if what 43dudleyvillas predicted here isn't far off the mark.

Dec 30, 2013 10:30:00 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

Sara Evans will quietly part ways with RCA Nashville at the end of the year, after two singles and the release of her album.

I remember reading that prediction and thinking it might definitely be a possibility. I just get the sense that Sony/RCA's long-term plan is more focused on artists like Miranda Lambert, Jake Owen, Chris Young, and even Love & Theft.

Well, I did predict that...that was partly because I agree with your assessment of Sony Nashville's long-term outlook, and it just seems like several of the artists signed by Joe Galante in the mid- to late 1990s to what is now Sony Nashville have "parted ways" with the label as it has become clear that they can no longer count on being among its top priorities. Moreover, "Slow Me Down" does absolutely nothing for me, and its slow run up the charts doesn't strike me as terribly surprising -- it's a midtempo adult contemporary pop song without a strong melodic hook or a message that I find particularly appealing.

But based on the album, I think it's clear Sara Evans isn't just sitting back and accepting her fate. There is obviously a purposeful pop bent to the album, but both Sara's singing and the production elements feel contemporary in a way that doesn't compromise what's most appealing about Sara's voice -- that beautiful tone. She really adapts well vocally to this mostly pop style of singing, better than she has on previous pop-leaning efforts. Ironically, it's on the song that most fits Sara's natural country phrasing that her new approach fails her -- she sounds too loud, too effortful & too strident on that big high note in the chorus of "Better Off," where a lighter touch more in tune with her previous albums would have served both the song and her better. "Better Off" and "Revival" are my favorite songs on the album from a writing standpoint though, so I'm glad that Sara included them on the album and at least attempted to root this album in the genre where she belongs. I appreciate "Good Love Is Hard to Find" for the same reason, though there, too, Sara's vocal is less intimate and more mechanical than I think the song warrants. The one inconsistency on this album is Sara's ability to combine her newfound vocal power with emotion...she seems to fare better in that regard on the poppier tracks, which is interesting.

I'm with layne in not understanding why "Slow Me Down" was chosen as the lead single and in thinking that "You Never Know" should be a single. "You Never Know," "Sweet Spot," and "Not Over You" have by far the most memorable and catchy melodies on the album, and I think that "You Never Know" and "Not Over You" represent Sara's best chance at a hit single in the current country radio climate. While it's true that female country singers over the age of forty have too often resorted to singles of big pop or Hot AC hits to make a mark at country radio and failed to reach the country top-20 with those covers (see: Faith Hill with "Come Home," Reba with "If I Were a Boy," Martina with "Marry Me," to name three of the most recent examples), I think "Not Over You" would stand a better chance of translating its built-in familiarity into good callout and airplay thanks to its tempo and hook. "You Never Know" feels very '80s pop, Madonna (production-wise) meets Belinda Carlisle. As for "Sweet Spot," it's a charming little trifle of a song whose melody feels like a smile, and it feels like a more polished update of some of the female country-pop that did well in the 1990s.

I'm underwhelmed for the most part by the songwriting on Slow Me Down, particularly the lack of storytelling. But I'm finding it a lot more interesting than I expected to based on "Slow Me Down," mostly as an expression of Sara's determination to stay market-relevant in a way that still showcases her best asset. Despite what I predicted at the end of last year, I'm very interested to see if this album yields some successful singles and gives Sara more than a fighting chance to ride out current country market trends.

[countrygirl918]

I will have to listen to this at least one or two more times before forming my final opinion on it, but after one listen I have to say I'm quite disappointed. I don't dislike the album, but I don't particularly like it either. It's kind of just there. The songwriting and production is quite bland, and I couldn't even tell you a favorite song because they all kind of blended together for me.

I will give it at least one more chance, but I don't think this is an album I'll rush out to purchase as I can't see myself ever purposefully turning on the songs. I wouldn't turn the station if the radio played them, but they don't stand out to me either. They feel like background music.

[George Strait Junkie]

the albums now up on itunes to buy i just bought the vince gill track better off i love that song but it dont belong on this album

[Deleted]

I have never been the most supportive of Sara, but I have always enjoyed her singles. Her last album was the first one I bought, and I decided to buy this one too because of its preorder discount. I really, really loved "Slow Me Down" and I was pumped to play the album when I woke up today. "Slow Me Down" continues to be an excellent song, and I quite liked "Not Over You." "Put My Heart Down" was good, but the Isaac Slade duet was somewhat disappointing. I expected more because Sara talked so highly about it in interviews. That said, "You Never Know" and "If I Run" are really great. I love that "You Never Know" sounded somewhat mysterious, and had some edge to it.

I love the whistling from "Sweet Spot," though the track ultimately comes across as filler. I would never skip the song, because it's pleasant and enjoyable, but it's standard fluff. Same goes for "Good Love is Hard to Find," though I could see myself actually skipping that one. I really enjoy her vocals on "Better Off" and the song itself is pretty great. I just wish you could hear Vince more. I'm glad that the albums picks up again on "Gotta Have You." Catchy and upbeat, love the song. "Revival" too.

[Deleted]

I apologize for double-posting, but here are the sales projections for this week. I was sad to see the numbers drop significantly from last time, when Stronger debuted with 55k, but I expected these lower numbers considering "Slow Me Down" has not matched the success of "A Little Bit Stronger." I don't even really have to say this, but I hope this album can, with good singles, continue to sell because it's a quality record.

Mar 11, 2014 13:53:17 GMT -5 Verisimilitude said:

EARLY NUMBERS: Heck, this week's HITS Album Sales Chart hasn't even finished building yet and we've got some forecasts for next week. Given that these are extremely early, bear in mind that the numbers are fluid—and keep checking back daily for updates.

Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville) 60-80k
Aloe Blacc (XIX/Interscope) 60-75k
311 (311) 35-45k
Young Money (Young Money/Republic) 30-40k
Sara Evans (RCA Nashville) 20-30k
Ledisi (Verve) 20-30k

[countryqueen]

I think the only song I like on here is "Better Off". Everything else is just too boring and safe!

[.indulgecountry]

Bought the album today and listened to it now for the first time, because I just couldn't bring myself to stream it before I purchased it, out of wanting to get the full effect and excitement of having a brand new record from my favorite vocalist of country music all time. I have to say that regardless of what style Sara Evans tends to gravitate towards, she always does it with such ease and manages to effectively deliver country music at any point on the spectrum. Her comments about challenging herself vocally turned out to be a very true statement and are evident through Slow Me Down. Vocally, this is one of her strongest sets, and you can tell she really worked hard on making this record great on all accounts. The album artwork and design are beautiful -- the photo shoot (particularly the cover) are stunning, the color palette of hot pink with black/white is so great. It's a small thing, but the hot pink disc is just gorgeous. There's a very nice attention to detail with Slow Me Down.

Track-by-track:
01. Slow Me Down --> Still loving this one. It wasn't an instant infatuation, but this one grew on me A LOT since the time it has been released and I am definitely a big fan of this track. The staccato strings are a very enjoyable and quirky choice that works to stand out, but the production and sound of this one as a whole is quite modern and made sense as a lead single choice. It's a shame this has climbed at such a slow pace, because it seems like a sure hit.
02. Not Over You --> Delightful cover. I almost wish she would've covered "Just Give Me a Reason" since she'd been nailing that in concert last year, but this was a great track and it suited her wonderfully. Her vocal is fantastic and the addition of Gavin DeGraw made it that much better. Wouldn't be my pick as a single, but it at least seems like a better fit for country radio than recent female country covers of pop/AC hits, like 43dudleyvillas pointed out in her examples (those came to mind for me as well).
03. Put My Heart Down --> Very strong melody and tempo. This would make for a pretty solid single, and her vocals on this just stunning (one of the biggest and most obvious examples of her vocal challenges on the record). The lightness of the verses and the build-up to the chorus are very effective, and her range of vocal techniques throughout the song between the softer effects and her full-bodied belting are well-executed brilliance. The repetitiveness of the chorus line makes for a very strong hook. Also, the lyrics on this are a definite highlight, especially for such a seemingly lightweight track ("Toxic tears" is one of my favorite lines on the entire record).
04. Can't Stop Loving You --> An unconventional duet that works wonderfully; their voices work very well together. Not sure why but I expected this song to be much more down-tempo going into it, but I am glad it's not, because it definitely sounds like a big hit single (as some others have also mentioned). I can see this being next and performing very well on country radio.
05. You Never Know --> Solid track but I'm not nearly as taken by this song as others seem to be (not among my standouts -- though I do like this one). The melody feels a little hard to get into for me compared to many of the other tracks on this record, particularly on the delivery of the pre-chorus. That said, I like the staccato production making another appearance on this track, as a way of tying that element into the record and not having it feel like just an outlier by being used only on the lead single.
06. If I Run --> One of my favorites on this record. The big vocals on the chorus are primo and the ad-libs beneath them add a certain extra layer of interest to the song (it kind of challenges me as a listener, if that makes sense). Lyrically one of the strongest cuts on the record and I love the concept behind the song, and I've been excited about this one ever since I read Sara's description of its background prior to the album release.
07. Sweet Spot --> The whistle is a great change of pace. Melodically one of the strongest cuts on the record and the "ooh-ooh-ooh-oh-oh" hook is lovely. Sara's handling of this song is fantastic and I'd definitely approve of this as a single.
08. Good Love Is Hard to Find --> One of my favorite cuts on the record for the instrumentation alone. That stringed instrument that is prominent throughout (mandoline, banjo, dobro? not sure what it is tbqh) is just music to my ears. The easy, bouncy melody and her vocal inflections are so enjoyable. Everything about this one I just love, right down to it being the best, most intriguing title at face-value on the entire record. Would absolutely love to hear this one on the radio, but I'm not sure it'd make the best choice since single releases are such a gamble at this stage of her career.
09. Better Off --> Just beautiful. The neo-traditional bent of this one makes it a standout cut for me, and the subdued instrumentation (the fiddle is easily my favorite sound in this world <3) and vocal performance are classic and classy. Interestingly enough, I could see this being something of a dark horse single if it were to be released, similar to "Suds in the Bucket" from Restless. It's definitely the most old school song on the record by far, but there's a certain feel to it that makes me think it would go over quite well on radio for that reason. Finally, my only 'complaint' is that Vince Gill isn't nearly as visible on this track as he was on "No Place That Far," which is a bit of a shame.
10. Gotta Have You --> The only song I'm not crazy about. It's a solid enough track and by no means do I dislike it or find it skippable, but the production on this one is the one case where the heavy-handedness becomes overbearing. There's definitely a bit too much going on during the chorus so that it drowns her vocal out a bit and the wall of noise is a little much. The other tracks handle that balance a lot better. Lyrically and vocally it's still solid and I like the trade-off between the big chorus and the verses that are more subdued, however.
11. Revival --> Great obscure cover track and I love that she mined the Radney Foster catalog for another track after the way that turned out the first time ("A Real Fine Place to Start"). The driving melody is great, it has a very throwback feel to me, and it works nicely as a closing track for the album. Her loose, vocal phrasing here and the background vocals are highlights on this one for me.

Singles:
(1. Slow Me Down)
2. Can't Stop Loving You
3. Put My Heart Down/Sweet Spot/Good Love Is Hard to Find
4. If I Run/Better Off

Even though a more neo-traditional country sound tends to be my favorite (Real Fine Place is without a doubt my favorite record), this album is a fantastic country-pop effort, and I love some of the comments I've read about this. It definitely reads like an attempt not so much to just stay relevant or chase trends in today's country climate, but more of a choice to adapt and succeed at pushing herself vocally and musically without sacrificing her artistic integrity, which makes sense considering this is the longest she's spent working on an album to date, so it's not as if she just took a backseat in the creative process.

I don't usually write full-fleshed reviews like this, but I just couldn't help it with this release for what should be obvious reasons. This album is very good and while it doesn't overtake Real Fine Place as my favorite Evans LP, it is right up there with Stronger for the #2 position. It will take time to see where this one settles, but I am currently infatuated with this and will probably replay this CD way too much over the next few weeks months. ;)

[someguy]

I'm not the biggest Sara Evans fan, though I do have all of her albums. She's never been among my absolute favourite singers, though I do like a fair amount of her material. I got this album today, and after a couple of listens, I'd say it falls in the middle of her albums. Real Fine Place is still my favourite of her albums, and it probably always will be, with Restless and Born To Fly following. I would say that, as of now, I would rank this album fourth, just slightly edging out Stronger. I'm sure that time might change this, though.

I like "Slow Me Down", though it's not as good as "A Little Bit Stronger", and I'm definitely ready for a new single from her. I'm hoping that it maybe makes the top 15, and then goes recurrent so that she can get something new out there.

As for what that something new will be, she does have a few options here. I think the obvious, safe choice is "Not Over You". I expect it to be a single, since they went to the trouble of remaking it with Gavin, but it wouldn't be my choice to come next. I agree with 43dudleyvillas assessment of why this should outperform recent pop covers sent to radio, but she's also not following up a big hit like Reba and Martina were, and also not riding the comeback hype that Faith was. That being said, "Not Over You" is a better song than "If I Were A Boy" and "Come Home", and more radio friendly than "Marry Me", so it could perform better.

To me though, the obvious standout song on the album is "You Never Know". Had this been the lead single, I think it would be closing in on the top 10 by now, instead of the top 20. I think that could put the album back on track a bit, as it sounds like the kind of song that would move albums, to me at least.

"Sweet Spot" and "Revival" are also standouts, to me.

I like the Isaac Slade duet, but it's not among the album's best, imo. It seems more suited to HotAC radio than country radio. A few years ago, it probably would have been big at country, but country radio has moved away from this kind of sound. It probably will be a single, but I'm not sure it will be the hit that people will be expecting.

I also like "Better Off" with Vince Gill, but I agree that it sounds pretty out of place on this album.

I wasn't expecting huge numbers, but 20-30K is quite disappointing. But, I guess it does make sense, as "Slow Me Down" hasn't caught on the way "A Little Bit Stronger" did, and Slow Me Down is following Stronger, an album that didn't end up doing all that well, whereas Stronger was following up Real Fine Place, which did better.

Overall, this is a good if not great album, and some tracks in particular will get a lot of play from me.