Artist: Lady Antebellum
Title: Golden
Label: Capitol Nashville
After releasing a pretty underwhelming holiday album that sounded a little phoned in last October, Lady Antebellum is back to what they do best on Golden, their fourth studio album.
Yes, just like their previous outings, the trio, comprised of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, is serving up all sorts of sweet harmonies on songs that chronicle the ups and downs of romantic relationships.
And considering just how well their voices blend together, both live and in the studio, it wouldn’t be surprising if the group employed the safe, if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it mentality. But one of the many surprises of Golden is how Lady Antebellum isn’t afraid to mess with expectations and rough things up a bit.
Without completing reinventing themselves, something diehard fans would probably object to, the group still freshens up their formula a bit. Reportedly inspired by all the time they’ve spent singing live, embracing a little risk has plenty of rewards on Golden.
Immediately making an impression is the album’s first track “Get to Me,” an insanely catchy little ditty that’ll get stuck in your head in no time, while “Goodbye Town” sparkles with Kelly on lead vocal duties, a nice switch from business as usual.
Falling comfortably within the group’s wheelhouse, “It Ain’t Pretty” and “Can’t Stand the Rain” are reflections on love’s challenges that are seemingly tailor-made for radio airplay, while the lovely title track truly steals the show thanks to a clever wordplay and a pretty but unorthodox arrangement.
While the changes of pace, musically and otherwise, are more subtle than bombastic, Golden is still a good sign of even more promising things to come—if they keep exploring new, more adventurous musical paths, that is.
*This Article First Published 5/16/2013