Jennifer Nettles "That Girl" Review

Producer Rick Rubin is known for his resurrection touch. During Johnny Cash's autumnal years when he was slowly slipping into aged oblivion, it was Rubin who revived the man in black's most uncanny comeback via his "American Recordings." This is because Rubin is never boxed by conventional or what's in vogue. Rather, there's something organic, quixotic and unpredictable in all the works that come out of his hands. Jennifer Nettles scans her partner Kristian Bush is wizened enough to engage the deft touches of Rubin for the production chores. And true to Rubin's calling, "That Girl" brings out Nettles' hillbilly soul that was often submerged between the megawatt stadium rock sounds of her Sugarland records. As a result, "That Girl" is country as country gets. Further, Nettles gets to air her country soul in greater measures than when she as a duo. This is partly due to the fact that she co-writes 10 out of the 11 cuts, often with the industry's greats such as Mike Reid, Richard Marx, Sara Bareilles, Philip Sweet and Butch Walker among others. The only non-Nettles composition is her take of Bob Seger's "Like a Rock."

Shedding all the threads of her Sugarland rock persona, Nettles takes the dirt rock as she drives us back home to the time of her Southern teenage days on the opener "Falling." Waxing nostalgia on her first taste of love, Nettles has not been more heartfelt than this Southern charmer. Then she enters tear mines with the melancholic acoustic guitar driven ballad "Me Without You." While the lead single and title cut "That Girl" indeed is a standout. Never a mere cookie cutter of a song, "That Girl" deals with the complexities of a triangular relationship that updates Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Yet, the faux Latin groove, the flamenco flavour, the infectious congas and handclaps give "That Girl" her individuality. Also be pleasantly surprised by the awkwardly titled "Know You Wanna Know." Richard Marx, who co-writes "Know You Wanna Know" with Nettles, has had written his share of banal pop forgettables. But this is not so here; featuring a Jerry Lewis-esque piano and a 60s style rock n' roll groove, "Know What You Wanna Know" creates a grand slam of a good time.

Mike Reid, who is known for crafting hits such as "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Bonnie Raitt), "Forever's As Far As I'll Go" (Alabama) and "Everywhere" (Tim McGraw), gets two co-writes with Nettles. Reid again shows what a towering writer he is with "This Angel." Poetry and a mother's heart have never woven so tightly as on this string-lade ballad. Adopting some of Bonnie Raitt's bluesy belts, "Good Time to Cry" (the second of the Mike Reid co-writes) is a neo-soul barroom weeper that has a wrinkle of the old school -styled of country music. Sara Bareilles who is already making a name for herself as the neo-Norah Jones shares her pen with Nettles on the R&B-tingled "This One's for You." Lyrically reminisce of "A Song for You," this is a sultry love song where Nettles bares her soul to her paramour. "Thank You," on the other hand, is the album's misstep where Nettles indulges too much in her twang.

The lone cover here is Nettles' take of Bob Seger's "Like a Rock." Starting off raw, understated and loose, she slowly picks up steam as horns and guitars are added on layer by layer. Thus, when she gets to the chorus you can hear her soaring with her Gospel metered contralto. "That Girl" is an album that brims with character; this is far from being an anonymous recording, each song here is different and memorable. And yet they congeal together well-thanks in huge measures to the wisdom of both Nettles and Rubin.

 

 

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