Sugarland – Love on the Inside

17 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Sugarland – Love on the Inside

Sugarland – Love on the Inside (Mercury Nashville, 2008)

Never judge a book by its cover, or an album by its first single. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion on the current single “All I Want To Do”, either very much for or very much against, but I think most would agree the album it is featured on is stunning.

When Sugarland first hit the charts with “Babygirl” they were the perfect break-out band; brand new and overly energetic. That was also the feel of the debut CD. Perhaps a little sadly, that feeling is not overly present on this third disc but as it has been replaced by a mature, confident sound and I am not complaining.

Their philosophy on life explained in “It Happens”, the album exudes confidence more than anything else. To me, it says: ‘we know who we are now and what we want to sound like, if anyone doesn’t like it, that’s fine, we’re sure there’s other music out there for them’. Because let’s face it, releasing a single of which the chorus consists almost entirely of ‘ooh’ does take a certain amount of self-belief.

With a title like “Love on the Inside”, it is no surprise that love is the main lyrical theme. “We Run”, describing new found love, is a surprising song, a Dolly Parton-esque blue grass blend. Another standout is “Joey” which is heartbreakingly beautiful. The ‘what if’ sentiment is very recognisable, almost to the point of uncomfortable as surely we all have had those thoughts.

The Sugarland sense of humour is very evident on the hilarious “Steve Earle”, their understanding of tragic romance on “What I’d Give” and “Keep You”. The joyful melody of “Genevieve” will surely make anyone dance as will the waltzy “Already Gone”. The album closes with the fragile “Very Last Country Song”.

The lyrics are never complicated, you always know what a song is about, but they are not so simple either that you feel your intelligence is being insulted, a problem with several of the new crop of country stars. Jennifer’s vocals are better than ever, the harmonies perfect. Kristian has a real rock voice and I do hope he will take lead vocals on a future song.

If you can look past the playful current single you will find a strong, modern country album which is hopefully still just a glimpse of the many more years of music to come from this duo.

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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