CD Review - Sarah McClurg - Tennessee Rain

Sarah McClurg – Tennessee Rain








Tracks: 10



www.sarahmcclurg.com











Sarah McClurg hails from Ottowa, Canada and her new CD was recorded in Nashville, with producer and collaborator (also acoustic guitar) Danny White at his own 16 Ton Recording studio, which she describes as an incredible experience. The result, Tennessee Rain, has just been released to great acclaim from many including Evue's respected North East country music DJ Brian Clough, who first brought her to many people's attention. It is easy to see where this praise is rooted. I received the three track preview and was so excited to hear the whole CD..



Featuring great accompaniment performances from some of Nashville's finest musicians, including Al Perkins (pedal steel), Michael Webb(organ) ,Dave Roe(bass), JD Simo(lead guitar) and Scotty Huff(vocals), the CD starts as it means to go on. Dubbed as 'new country' by many, I suspect Sarah McClurg has a good chance to play a part, at least, in redefining modern country music and remind us what we all loved about it when it was at its peak. That can only be a good thing, surely?!



The title track, Tennessee Rain, is a catchy, country sounding, up-tempo track which speaks of 'washing away the pain tonight in the Tennessee rain.' Sarah told me this song was inspired when there was a spell of heavy rain in Canada, then she travelled down to Nashville, only to be greeted by more rain. The timing was eerie as I received this track right after the recent Nashville floods.



Neverland speaks of love where there is no happy, fairytale ending for either party and is a cleverly written song, quite upbeat, despite its rather sad subject matter. One Soul talks of the one left behind, 'One soul on the side of the road, one more soul left at home, still dreaming..' This song especially, reminds me of the songs I loved during the 90s when I first discovered country music.







However, they are just the tip of the iceberg; songs such as Little More Highway, Rodeo Girl, Better Luck Next Time, Out of Nowhere, Home is Where you are, Sunday Morning and Tumbleweed, all blend together to demonstrate Sarah's multi-faceted sound and prove that this CD is so much more than the sum of its parts.



Perhaps Sarah McClurg's appeal, then, lies in the fact that she sings contemporary songs, with a contemporary sound, yet she taps into the quality of music when country really was county. The CD, Tennessee Rain, is available through Sarah's website, or in the UK from Smart Choice Music (www.smartchoicemusic.com) now. I suggest you order your copy now before word gets out and there are none left , as it promises to be one of the best county CDs of 2010. Or if you really can't wait, the three sampler songs can be downloaded from iTunes.