Album Review: Reba – Love Somebody
2 min read
I’ll be the first to admit that I would not consider myself to be a fan of country music. In saying that, I took reviewing Reba’s new album Love Somebody as way to explore the genre and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Reba’s career has spanned many decades and from listening to this album I feel that her long-standing career is due to her knack for lyrical honesty and her flawless vocals. Love Somebody is an album that is empowering, heart wrenching and musically flawless.
The first track Going Out Like That is strong and inspiring with a heavy drum beat and electric guitar. The instruments pair with Reba’s lyrics, which tackle the universal theme of finding individual freedom after heartbreak. At the end of the song, Reba’s strong vocals are accentuated as she belts and basically sums up the empowering nature of this track. The following track Enough completely turns the tables. As Reba duets with featuring vocalist Jennifer Nettles, there is fragility in the high melodies that emphasises the emotive nature of this song. This track is most definitely one of the highlights of the album.
What really makes this album successful is that it plays with different emotions. While the same subject matter may appear again, the theme is explored with a different story, metaphor or even with a different emotion. She Got Drunk Last Night explores desperation while That’s When I knew again looks at finding love again but in a more sensitive manner. The elongated notes show off Reba’s impeccable vocals and again highlight a frailty in feeling. Until They Don’t Love You is intense and the choral backing vocals are very effective in creating an exciting feel in the piece. This track toys very much with the rock genre and it’s a definite anthem.
There are so many great songs on this album, but there are a few misses. I’ll Go On and Promise Me Love don’t bring anything fresh and Just Like Them Horses bases itself on a really uninspired metaphor that feels quite corny. Love Somebody doesn’t strike me as a breakout track from the album and I wonder if another track would have been better suited for the title of the album.
Overall, I really enjoyed Love Somebody more than I thought I would, as I’m a country music novice. The elements of musicality in the album are really good and the instruments are utilised in very emotionally effective ways. In many of the songs, Reba tells a beautiful story. If this is the standard of country music going around, then I’m definitely converted.
