Sugarland

It is entirely fitting that an album so full of love is one that people will soon know by heart. That’s the lure of Sugarland, Mercury Nashville’s super duo. By reinterpreting love in a raw–but–graceful collection of 12 brand new songs, they have cut a wide swath across country music.

Jennifer Nettles says that, as cliché as it sounds, this is the record she’s always wanted to make. One that challenged the genre to reach a little. And since music is sacred to Nettles and Kristian Bush, they wanted to honor the record–making process and really be present this time around. The duo wondered what would be possible if they really gave themselves time on this, their third studio album. The resulting recordings of love have a heartbeat you can detect in the words, the strings, the drums and the vocals.

And this release delves into nearly every emotion, packing so many stories and music styles into one tune stack that Sugarland is calling it a weekend album. You can put this on on a Friday night, and it’s still gonna be going strong when you’re hanging out Sunday morning in your slippers. It may be an intoxicating rocker about green love that makes the most–played list, or a haunting ballad with the cadence of a waltz, but when played through this album can launch feelings to a new level.
Perhaps because of the sound that you hear in Nettles’ voice and Bush’s playing. It’s one of contentment. More so than on any other album. Why? Because this time, the duo spent the month of February ‘08 in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia making this record. After touring, and then a month of what they called cleaning their palates, they brought session musicians and award–winning co–producer Byron Gallimore down to Atlanta’s legendary Southern Tracks Studio (Bruce Springsteen, Perl Jam) to finesse and record the songs they’d written while on the road supporting their last albumEnjoy the Ride.

Atlanta is more than just home to Sugarland, though. It’s home to the music scene that shaped their sound. So it just felt right to go back there to make their third album. Asking players to uproot themselves and come to Atlanta wasn’t easy. But the band created some charm that you can hear from the first track to the last. “We are dedicated to continuing the art of making albums, collections where every song counts,” says Bush. They were after simplicity rather than complexity on these recordings. So instead of layers and overdubs, they just had one capture of each song. But while the resulting tracks were simple in their making, the range of tunes Sugarland has brought to the surface is anything but. “Emotions can feel overwhelming, and it’s hard to sift through them,” Nettles explained. Whether it’s about what it felt like when you unearthed love for the first time, or how painful it was to let it go, Sugarland was compelled to set those timeless feelings to music.

Since Sugarland’s popularity has been igniting the genre since their debut, Nettles and Bush feel blessed to be able to bring some fresher notes to country radio. Getting comfortable, and writing the same songs over and over, is just not what the duo is about. So here, you may find a ballad that has Nettles playing the part of a mature widow or a teenager who’s tragically lost her first love. This music literally builds characters around Bush’s landscapes and Nettles’ powerful vocals. These songs and stories come from brainstorms with both Nashville veterans and rookies. ”Joey“ was co–written with the legendary Bill Anderson, while Bobby Pinson (“Want To”) helped pen four of the tunes including the first single “All I Want to Do.” And just like on Enjoy the Ride, Nettles and Bush wrote every song on this album. Songwriting, as it turns out, is one of Sugarland’s callings. At the recent 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards, the duo was honored with the “Song and Single of the Year” for the touching and tender acoustic sensation “Stay.” Nettles made history that night by being the only female artist to have solo–written the ACM “Song Of The Year.” Their shelves are now full of countless awards and number one singles since 2004 when they leapt onto the country scene with Twice the Speed of Life and its debut single “Baby Girl.”

It has been a joyful four years for Nettles and Bush. Since they huddled over cups of coffee in an Atlanta Starbucks and scratched out career goals for themselves, they’ve evolved in every way musically possible. Now they’ve managed to seamlessly blend bits of the sounds they love, the sounds that inspired them to become fans of music, into their lastest album. A wail from R.E.M., a soulful vocal from Janis Joplin, and a throwback to Appalachian instrumentation gives every song momentum and increases the turn–it–up quotient of the entire 50 minutes of music. And will ultimately turn Sugarland’s third album into country’s latest tour de force.

Ellis Paul

A troubadour, a singer/songwriter, a folky, and a storyteller -- all fair labels for this artist, but they do not quite suffice. However, the tattoo of Woody Guthrie worn proudly on his arm is a good starting place from which to grasp Ellis Paul, for it is from the Woody Guthrie tradition that he hails, and Maine, as well. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and James Taylorare also listed among his influences, and their spirits seem to occasionally grace his work. With an acoustic guitar in hand, he weaves intimate, provocative, and romantic tales of lives that were obviously witnessed by a most-talented voyeur. Based in Massachusetts, Ellis has been called the quintessential Boston songwriter more than a few times and has garnered the recognition and awards to back up that claim, including a shelf full of Boston Music Awards. Since coming onto the scene in 1993 with his independent debut Say Something, Ellis hasn't slowed or weakened as a performer or a writer. Spending two-thirds of most years on the road has helped him perfect both crafts, with a lot of practice on-stage and a lot of people whose stories he retells in song. In fact, his 1994 album Stories proved enchanting enough to secure him a deal with Rounder Records and a national following of dedicated fans. Over the years and albums, his songs have gotten more personal. He purposely turned the looking glass onto his own life for 1998's aptly titled Translucent Soul as he publicly worked through the pain of his divorce. Following hot on the heels of 1999's double-CD Live, the new millennium saw Ellis' song "The World Ain't Slowing Down" featured in Me, Myself and Irene starring Jim Carrey.