Heaven Heartache & The Power of Love

Review 'Heaven' sent; Trisha Yearwood's voice carries straight to the heart on a nearly flawless CD BYLINE: PRESTON JONES, Star-Telegram staff writer SECTION: F; Pg. 3 In country music, more than other genres, artists are often called upon to interpret the work of others. It's a skill set few stars possess and even fewer truly utilize to its fullest extent -- for every effortless Reba McEntire, there's an awkward Taylor Swift waiting in the wings. Trisha Yearwood is among those who excel at wringing every last drop of emotion from third-party material that could otherwise feel bland. She takes ownership of the songs on her albums, investing energy and conveying palpable conviction in order to fully connect, not only with the art but the listener as well. Clearly, it's not a skill that can be taught, otherwise critics wouldn't prize performers such as Yearwood so highly. That Yearwood has one of modern music's most ingratiating instruments doesn't hurt, either. Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love, her first album of new material in 24 months, is a showcase for her warm, buoyant alto; the 13-track disc is split neatly between up-tempo, no-frills country-rockers and haunting ballads with an occasional burst of brassy attitude. Yearwood's longtime producer Garth Fundis knows to get out of the singer's way, keeping the canvas clear of fussy distractions; it's easy to slop a bunch of fiddle and pedal steel onto a country song, but often these touches thwart good intentions -- better to let the peerless vocals reside front and center. Heaven, Heartache and the Power ofLove's cohesion is also aided by the relative lack of duds -- Yearwood's discerning ear for compelling tracks means that misfires like Drown Meare infrequent. Rather, the album takes flight with songs like The Dreaming Fields, an absorbing sense memory that somehow evokes Terrence Malick's film Days of Heaven and simultaneously reveals Yearwood's debt to such predecessors as Linda Ronstadt. Another highlight, Let the Wind Chase You, is a powerful duet with the usually colorless Keith Urban. Indeed, the variety of moods through which Yearwood cycles is done with a deft hand; moving lightly from the gospel-tinged title track to the drowsy Western swing of Cowboys Are My Weakness(a song Yearwood might croon for husband Garth Brooks?), Yearwood's embodiment of various styles and her impassioned readings of lyrics both hopeful and world-weary is top-notch. Yearwood's 13th studio album glows with an easy charm. You can tear the disc apart trying to find a weak spot, but try as you might, it's an exercise in futility. Trisha, like other first-name-only Nashville icons, is simply one of the best at what she does. Download this:The Dreaming Fields Trisha Yearwood Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love **** 4 of 5 stars -- Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 14, 2007 3 1/2 stars out of 5 by Brian Mansfield If Trisha Yearwood's first album in two years gets overshadowed by Garth Brooks' ultimate hits hoopla, then that's a real shame. Her album may not arrive with the fanfare of her husband's, but what an album it is. It delivers everything its title promises and then some: a couple of blues-rocking barnburners, a little Memphis soul, some cooing cowboy swing and perfectly wrought ballads that Yearwood sings with emotional precision of a latter-day Tammy Wynette. -- USA Today, November 13, 2007 3 out of 4 stars, reviewed by Randy Vest Trisha Yearwood offers up some memorable story songs on this follow-up to 2005's "Jasper County," infusing each tale with her pitch-perfect delivery. "Nothin' 'Bout Memphis" finds a guilt-ridden woman hiding a past romance from her current lover, while "Dreaming Fields" is an achingly beautiful reminiscence of a 1940's couple who lose the family farm. But the mood here is not all downbeat. "Nothin' About You Is Good For Me" is a boisterous rebuke of a low-down lothario, and "Cowboys Are My Weakness" is a loping two-stepper that playfully nods to hubby Garth Brooks. -- People Magazine, November 9,2007 Checklist SECTION: THE TIP SHEET Our top picks for the week: Hear- Trisha Yearwood, "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love." Superstar Yearwood belts out love ballads--some sweet and slow, others snappy and sassy, but always with the feeling of someone who has loved, lost and lived to sing about it -- Newsweek, November 19, 2007 Downtime BYLINE: Barbara Kiviat; By Richard Corliss; James Poniewozik; Josh Tyrangiel; Richard Zoglin SECTION: ARTS: MOVIES - BOOKS - TUNED IN - DOWNTIME 5 Things That Want to Entertain You. What to seek out and what to avoid, from Heidi Klum to Frankenstein MUSIC Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love Trisha Yearwood; out Nov. 13 Mrs. Garth Brooks doesn't have her husband's ability to spin average material into commercial gold, and here her material is below average. The up-tempo title track barrels at you with the charm of a truck ad, while the lamely worded ballads float away without carrying any
ASIN: B000UMQDLI
VSKU: 4EKGRJ00BK3U_ns
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:YEARWOOD,TRISHA
Binding: Audio CD