Album- Own the Night
Artist- Lady
Antebellum
The third studio album by Lady Antebellum was highly
anticipated following on from the worldwide success of the groups single Need
You Now and their many Grammy wins. And they once again produce a record
fuelled by love songs and sweet but sad sentiments set against the backdrop of
the contemporary country music scene, which they have pretty much led (if you
ignore Taylor Swift).
Track 1- We Owned the
Night
The opener is a deep but fun track about a man recalling a
romantic encounter he had with a woman and telling how they “owned the night”.
The song has a more classic country feel than some of their previous singles
and feels like a sweet ode that is an anthem for the power of love. The lyrical
storytelling of the track is a slightly clichéd but cute imagery conjure that
is back by a consistent drum beat and guitar beats that give a great vitality
to the song. And as always the vocal harmonies are great and have a nice
layering quality that almost make the song reach the prospect of being a two
folded love song.
3.5/5
Track 2- Just a Kiss
The lead single features a very recognisable Lady Antebellum
song structure in being a slow burning sweet number that clings on lyrically to
the power of love. It has that I need you now feel to it lyrically and so loses
some of its spark, but the gentle piano instrumentation leading into a thumping
bass and powerful guitar riffs gives a good build to the song, and the vocal
harmonisation allows for a nice contrast to the previous track in which the
male voice was more dominant. Don’t listen if you’re not a fan of sickly sweet
Antebellum, but otherwise this is a chilled out number that many will find
appealing.
3/5
Track 3- Dancin’ Away
with My Heart
This sentimental track about the power of one final dance is
a country pop number that is not deep but is another chilled out number that
features a nice hook in terms of the title. Whilst not exactly setting the
world alight the lyrical simplicity of the track gives a freshness and believability
to the idea of the group reflecting on a last dance. And whilst the structure
is at this point similar to quite a few of their other tracks, it’s not bland
but rather sweet at this point, showing that they know there sound and can make
interesting songs that sound similar but have a completely different energy and
tone. And that male female vocal combination works well, although perhaps isn’t
the best example of when their combined voices really elevate a song.
3.5/5
Track 4- Friday Night
After the down tempo nature of the two previous tracks this
is an up tempo, country stomper that features a real rock edge and gives a bit
of diversity to the record as a whole. It’s a proper fun party number that is
lyrically all about a person telling another person that they want to be their “Friday
night” in a relationship and basically have fun. And the whilst the vocals aren’t
great they work well with the energy of the track, and the production sounds
very country and familiar but has enough energy and pizazz to get you to dance
along to it.
3.5/5
Track 5- When You
Were Mine
This mid tempo number is another Lady Antebellum country
love song and so sounds a little too familiar. The slow lyrical stresses of the
verses compliment the quite punchy and faster paced chorus well, and the female
vocal dominates the track in a nice way, showing that the band no when to
really harmonise and when to not. However the lost love vulnerability of the
song is familiar territory, and the guitar based country sound just sounds a
bit too stereotypical for this song, and is perhaps more noticeable due to the
fact that the song is dragged on for too long.
2.5/5
Track 6- Cold as
Stone
This country ballad is one of the most vulnerable songs on
the record and is great in terms of it’s simplicity. The lamenting lyrics which
speak of wishing to feel like stone so the pain of a relationship can’t be felt
is wonderful in terms of its storytelling value, with the female and male vocal
combination shining most prominently within this song as it gives a twofold
edge to the track and unfolds like an epic love conversation that is so simple
and fragile you can’t help but be touched by it. The production value of the
track really enhances the delicacy of the song, with the simple guitar
strumming creating a sombre mood that we can truly invest ourselves in. And
whilst the previous track was too long, this song is actually helped by the
songs whistling ending which conjures up being on a mountain top imagery and
gives an epic feel to the song.
4/5
Track 7- Singing Me Home
Going from dark to happy works well with this album, and
this mid tempo toe tapping number is a treat. The melding vocals have a real
sentimentality to them that makes the lyrics of the track really believable,
and these lyrics have a sweet charm to them, conjuring up clichéd but cute
images and being centred around a simple hook that can very easily become stuck
in your head. The simple drum and guitar production allows the cutesy nature of
the track to shine, and the guitar solo into the final section of the song is a
nice moment which has a daydream like feel to it. And the “keep singing” ad
libs are a small but again sweet touch that further enhances the feeling of
happiness that we can get from this track.
3.5/5
Track 8- Wanted You
More
From the country sugar rush of the previous song we are
transferred into a state of powerful melodrama that signals this track as one
of the best on the record. This can be heard right from the songs opening
guitar riffs, which are soon accompanied by heavy piano notes and orchestral
production that just builds as the track progresses, leading to a cinematic
feeling end. The powerful chorus is really simple and effective and the verses
are undercut by a feeling of hurt that is extremely tangible, all coming
together in the simple line “I don’t need you anymore”. And the powerful vocal
harmonies really blend well together and are a perfect example of why Lady
Antebellum are one of the best country vocal groups around.
4.5/5
Track 9- As You Turn
Away
The clunky piano instrumentation that permeates this track
immediately signals that this is another melancholic relationship track. The track
builds well into the chorus which features lush violin sections, although the
drum beat is perhaps a little bit unnecessary. Scott’s female vocal really
drives the song and slightly renders male vocals in the track excessive. And
whilst the lyrical quality is really good and has that sense of pain, the song
also feels like a little bit of a continuation of the previous track and so the
record can at this point perhaps feel a little overwhelming for the listener.
3/5
Track 10- Love I’ve
Found in You
The tempo is kicked up a notch on this track and a more
traditional country sound is adopted, so this song comes as a welcome relief in
the track. The piano elements of the song and guitar production give a classic
country rooting to the track and for me anyway conjure up the idea of a party, I
don’t know why. But this party feel might be because of the lyrics of the song
which celebrating the finding of love for the singers, and the vocal harmonies
play on this sense of union really well. The song doesn’t have the kick at the
end that it needs but it’s a sweet number that will at least have you tapping
your feet along.
2.5/5
Track 11- Somewhere
Love Remains
The more sombre side of the record again comes to the fore
of the record, and so at this point you might be feeling a little bored with
the album. However while the melancholic but hopeful tone of the record might
feel all too familiar, the pleading chorus tugs at your heartstrings in a way
other tracks on the record might not, perhaps because it has a universal appeal
and that sense of hope can really touch you. And the vocal blending of Scott’s
and Kelley’s vocals really elevates the message of love remaining. Whilst the
country guitar sound of the song is very much a typical Antebellum sound, the
record as just a hint of a bluesy tone to it that makes it a little more
interesting, and the high pitched piano like beats are a subtle but nice touch.
3.5/5
Track 12- Heart of
the World
The closing song is a slow burning ballad that just makes
the record feel bloated and is unfortunately not a great end. Whilst the
lyrical metaphors employed within the track are nice and the storytelling
verses slow but sweet in tone, the track just feels like it is trying too hard
to be an epic closing ballad to the record, and so feels just a little bit
dated, although the progressive production of the track does make for a
powerful final section, albeit the vocal harmonies don’t really do much. As a standalone
song you can really enjoy it but as the albums finish something else needed to
be pulled out of the bag
3/5
Final Review
Lady Antebellum with this album
really established that they knew where there strength lay as an artist and
that they could craft sweet or melancholic tracks with ease. But whilst they
may know what their sound should be, it might have been nice to have just that
hint of experimentation within this record and another more up tempo number or
two to elevate the record beyond become a little bit bland as it continues,
which by the end it sadly does become, albeit it does take a while longer than
some other records. A good album, just needed a bit more polish
6.5/10
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