“Shine” (RCA/Sony)
The CD cover of Martina McBride’s “Shine” shows the country star posing against a modern art canvas, merging with the paint so that it’s hard to distinguish between her body and the brash brushstrokes behind her.
Her 10th album attempts something similar, as McBride modernizes her sound with aggressive guitars and color-splashed arrangements. But the Kansas native proves she’s too dynamic as an interpreter to sink into the background or let the rock-influenced instrumentation overwhelm her.
It’s not just her famed vocal power that lifts these new songs, although the power ballads (“What Do I Have to Do,” “Lies”) show she can soar with as much force as any singer of her era. It’s also her ability to imbue sensitivity (“I Just Call You Mine”) or sass (“You’re Not Leaving Me”) into a story line that makes her such a one-of-a-kind presence on the radio.
McBride’s decision to work for the first time with producer Dann Huff – the man behind the hits of Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban – indicates her desire to update her music. But her talent remains timeless because of more enduring qualities, such as emotional nuance and the way she inhabits the mood of a song.
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Martina McBride
“Shine” (RCA/Sony)
Genre: country
Grade: A