It's been awhile since we have heard the unequaled Lee Ann Womack grace the radio dial. After a long hiatus, she has finally given us some new material, and it was well worth the wait. Lee Ann Womack is an artist who has stood by her guns and kept her music traditionally grounded, yet commercially viable. The Way I'm Livin' continues that trend. It's not only on of Lee Ann Womack's best albums, its one of the best albums of an already stellar 2014.
The album kicks off with a beautiful vocal performance by Lee Ann on the prelude, "Fly". Lee Ann's powerful voice is an instrument all its own, and it is on full showcase on this album. The entire album has a theme of playing both sides of the fence, being pulled between the Good Lord and the Devil. "All His Saints" is a play towards the good side tackled with a blusey gospel sound, while "The Way I'm Living" and "Sleeping With The Devil" play to the sinner side. I like the way Lee Ann can approach both sides with an equal amount of believability on each end. The fantastic "Send It On Down", written by one of my favorites, Chris Knight, actually hits both sides of the spectrum in one song, as it tells the tale of a drunkard looking for answers from above. "Chances Are" was written by Hayes Carll, another stellar singer-songwriter and is a fantastic tale of barroom love. "Tomorrow Night In Baltimore" is a great story song that you just don't hear enough of anymore. The album's closer "When I Come Around" is one of my favorites, and ends the album on a stellar note.
There really isn't a bad track to be found. Some of the songs may not hold up as modern classics or anything, but they are all integral to the album. The Way I'm Livin' is the type of album that doesn't have a "Song of The Year" contender on it, but is an "Album of The Year" contender because the sum of all of its parts create a wonderful listening experience. "Same Kind of Different As Me" is a song that may not be my favorite, but it fits perfectly in this album and sounds great. The same goes for "Out On The Weekend" and "I Have Not Forgotten You". When all of these songs come together, it makes an album that will make you smile, think, cry, and love. That's what its all about.
The Way I'm Livin' is a nice comeback for Lee Ann Womack. She has been sorely missed, and its great to not only have some new music, but for it to be this high quality to boot. Lee Ann clearly doesn't let other dictate her sound and her direction. The result is an album that is heartfelt, country, and commercial. If you like sweet female vocals, some back and forth between heaven and hell, and a whole lot of heartache, check out The Way I'm Livin'.
Standout Tracks: "The Way I'm Livin'", "Send It On Down", "When I Come Around", "Chances Are", "Sleeping With The Devil"
"The Way I'm Livin'"
"Send It On Down"
"Sleeping With The Devil"
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