CD Review – Achin’ and Shakin’ – Laura Bell Bundy

14 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on CD Review – Achin’ and Shakin’ – Laura Bell Bundy

Achin’ and Shakin’ – Laura Bell Bundy (2010, Mercury Records Nashville)

Not many artists will be confident enough to make their major label debut with a concept album but if there is one thing Laura Bell Bundy has in spades, it’s confidence. Her new album, ‘Achin’ and Shakin”, is an album of two halves with the melancholy in the opening songs and energy in the latter half.

The soulful second single ‘Drop On By’ brings you into Laura’s world, its sadness and longing quickly pushed aside by the anger in ‘Curse the Bed’. A weaker track is ‘Please’ in which she begs her man for forgiveness after being unfaithful. It isn’t a bad song but I doubt that cliches rhymes like ‘don’t take your love away/I’m begging you to stay’ are really going to do the trick. Standout in the Achin’ half is ‘Homecoming Queen’ with a wonderful message of inner confidence not influenced by possessions or other people’s expectations – ‘I may not get my way/but I will be OK/I still count my blessings’. After the simply beautiful ‘When It All Goes South’, with possibly the best vocal performance of the album, it’s time to strap on some dancing shoes.

The Shakin’ collection of songs is lead by first single ‘Giddy On Up’. This half of the CD shakes, rocks, and makes no apologies for any of it. When, on the Jerry Flowers co-write ‘Rebound’, she asks a guy ‘won’t you be my rebound?’ it does show more sass than class.

The production is big. Often a bit too big. There are lots of gospel choir backing vocals and horn sections. Even when she’s shakin’, Laura has a lot of vulnerability in her voice and the production choices often threaten to overpower her. That’s a shame especially on the I’m-just-telling-it-like-it-is ‘I’m No Good (For Ya Baby)’.

While the lead single has the ability to lodge itself in my head for days, my real standout songs are the insanely vivacious and boundlessly bold duo of ‘If You Want My Love’ and closer ‘Everybody’. Both cuts fire up the banjo and fiddle and burst at the seems with life. The Achin’ side may hold more of the substance but the shakin’ half is oh so much fun!

With a hand in all but ‘Drop on By’, Laura proves she is much more than just a singer. This girl has plans for Music Row and with ‘Achin’ and Shakin” she is very much on the right track.

Disclosure of material connection for this review.  

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Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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