Search - Mindy McCready :: I'm Still Here

Recovering country singer mounts a solid comeback

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 03/23/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After finding quick fame with her 1996 debut Ten Thousand Angels, McCready embarked on a career that declined and then disassembled. Her follow-up, If I Don't Stay the Night, managed gold sales, but 1999's I'm Not So Tough had little success and she was dropped by her label. A self-titled album in 2002 scratched the bottom of the charts with the single "Maybe, Maybe Not," and McCready soon became more infamous than famous. A well publicized arrest of her ex-boyfriend for attempted murder, suicide attempts, drug addition and multiple entanglements with the law replaced studio sessions, hit singles, live concerts and awards shows.



Of course, a troubled life doesn't have to run a country music career aground. Personal demons can just as easily provide grist for an artist's mill, and as McCready shows here, she's willing to invest some personal travails into her music. The album's title track and lead single, written by McCready in jail, is a moving confession of survivorship with a lyric of emotional clarity that's a foundation for long term physical sobriety. McCready's other two co-writes, the twangy "I Want a Man" and the ballad "The Way You Make Me Melt" resound with the appetite of someone who's recently rejoined the living. It's a wonder her voice - emotional and physical - is in such good shape after what she's put herself through.



Though the bulk of the album was written by industry pros, McCready's picked songs that fit the theme of recovery and reawakening. The addictive romance of "Wrong Again" takes on secondary meanings of rehabilitation as McCready works through powerlessness, forgiveness, inventorying and amend making, the sorrow in "By Her Side" could signal a farewell to a previous life rather than a lost lover, and "I Hate That I Love You" could be a recovering addict's lament. The Nashville-modern production strays from McCready's country roots, but her vocals are terrific throughout. She charges into each song with the ferocity of someone saved by making music, and back story or not, her commitment and determination are stirring. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]"

Amazing Album!

D. Otis | 03/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a beautiful album! Mindy McCready makes a bold statement with her first new album in over eight years, as she invites the listener in on her journey towards healing herself and finding her way in life. This truly introspecive album has a combination of raw emotion and power that could only be possible with an artist that has truly lived what she sings about. Mindy is such an amazingly natural talent that it makes you wish that she had not taken such a long hiatus from music - she is truly gifted.



This album contains songs for everyone, from those who love the amazing ballads to those who crave the uptempo beats of "I Want A Man". For those looking for a song that will surly put you in the mood for romance, "I Want To Love You" should be at the top of the list for such occasions. Overall, this album flows well in a woderfully produced masterpiece that includes newly reporduced versions of her old hits: "Guys Do It All The Time" and "Ten Thousand Angels". I believe that this is Mindy's best work to date, with hopefully more to come in the coming years."

If You were a fan

Kimberly S. Elder | Marysville, WA | 03/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were a fan of Mindy McCready before nothing about this CD will change your mind. It is excelllent. Just hoping we don't have to wait as long for more new music from her in the future."