Review Summary: Dolly's voice might just be the most charming thing you'll ever hear.
I will start off by saying I’m not a huge fan of country. Dolly, however, brings something I cannot resist. Her voice is sweet, charming, and she doesn’t try too hard to put a southern accent on it like some artists do. She can be described as charismatic and she makes the songs have a certain genuine feeling to them. Dolly is not afraid to let her chops show, either. Most notably in the song “I Will Always Love You,” which the majority of people know because of the Whitney Houston cover, in which she belts out high notes with ease and sometimes adds a little vibrato here and there. At other times, she gives the listener a very smooth, folksy sound to relax to.
The sound of the album is mostly country, with notable pop elements. Many people will be familiar with the immensely famous opening track, "Jolene." The production is lovely here and the arrangements are definitely worth hearing. Plucking banjos, shaking tambourines, sweeping violins, steady drumming, and twangy guitar playing is what you’re in store for. It can often sound like old folk music. The entire album is very early-Nashville, meaning many of the tunes have a radio friendly vibe to them, and it's pretty easy going to listen to. The melodies will make you want to sing along instantly, but there are also weepy, ballad parts scattered throughout.
The lyricism is tinged with love, whether it be losing it or gaining it. On "When Someone Wants To Leave" Dolly sings "It's a sad situation, I must say, when you know they want to leave as bad as you want them to stay" while on "Highlight Of My Life" she sings "Darlin' you're the highlight of my life. You're a part of every dream I dream. You're my love, my life, my everything." It's simple, but straight forward and effective. She also loves to sing about the beauty in nature and equate that with emotions. On "River of Happiness" she describes a place with warm breezes, sunshine, and flowing water, comparing it to the love that she sees growing there. On "Early Morning Breeze" she uses descriptions of pretty flowers and morning aspects to paint a place so beautiful that it allows her to continue on with her life after a loss. With it being only 24 minutes in length, there is no reason to not check this out, fan of country or not.
