From the opening notes, I could already tell that this was going to be my favorite Amanda Shires record. There’s just something different about it. Shires is now married and has a beautiful baby, just like I do, so I felt a particular connection. She wrote these songs at the very end of her pregnancy, when she was clearly nesting and had a lot of time to think about the current state of her life.
On “Slippin,” she wonders if her love will cheat on her during their many nights apart. Her vivid lyrics paint a picture of him in a bar, seeing the curve of this other woman’s shoulder and “forgetting who he is.” One has to wonder how Isbell felt playing guitar and singing backup on this track. From reading interviews with him and listening to his songs, it doesn’t sound likely that this will happen. Even someone as beautiful and talented as Amanda Shires fears this sometimes, just like many of us.
“Nursery Rhyme” clearly explores the anxiety of waiting for a little one to arrive. “If you aren’t tip-toeing then you’re stomping across my mind/ I know it’s way past time” she sings in a voice that has noticeably less “warble” on this album. “Mineral Wells” appears on this album, just like it did on 2009’s West Cross Timbers. I wondered about the addition of this older song, as it does not seem to fit in with the rest of the album.
My absolute favorite song and the one I’ve had on repeat is “When You’re Gone,” which describes how normal sounds are amplified and can be creepy when one is alone. This is the most upbeat song on the album, with jangly melodies and a very catchy chorus. “I wouldn’t call it silent, but it’s a different kind of quiet when you’re gone,” she explains. The final song on the album is “You Are My Home,” which beautifully describes the feeling of having a partner in life. Shires’ fiddle is on display here and it’s stunning. “You are my home wherever you go/ anywhere that you stand is my piece of land, you are my home” is a perfect way to illustrate feeling comfortable and at ease with that person, who belongs to you.
Bottom photo by Suzanne McMahon (Suzanne Davis Photography). Top photo on album cover by Josh Wool.
About the author: Suzanne started her love affair with photography at age 15. When she's not snapping photos, she is working as a Clinical Social Worker just outside of Boston. Suzanne also enjoys attending concerts and singing. Check out more of her photos at facebook.com/suzannedavisphotography