In this year of election divisiveness perhaps no topic separates people more than what it means to live the American dream. When I saw the title of Amy Speace’s latest album, I wondered how she was going to address the issue. Instead of painting a picture of what it is, Speace instead offers vignettes of what happens along the way to striving for whatever it means to you. It’s all enveloped by her songwriting and performance skills, honed over her previous seven records, to put out a release that’s nearly impossible not to like.
The American Dream‘s title track opens the CD with a look at our bicentennial year’s celebration through the eyes of 7-year-old Amy. When she describes riding her bike as “feel the wind, duck your head and lean,” it’s a child’s unrestrained joy of a moment of independence. Homecoming Queen details the experience of a friend who wasn’t afraid to take chances, and even when she “licked her wounds and moved all the way back home”, you can tell the result didn’t change Speace’s admiration of her. In New York City details her twenty-something life in the city, and while it’s specific to her it’s equally universal in its description of finding your you. Even more universal is First United Methodist Day Care Christmas Show. Substitute any church or day care for this one but the story wouldn’t be any different. The details of the holiday pageant are so nostalgic you know long before she sings it that it’s “the best damned show I’ve ever seen.”
A large part of the album takes inspiration from Speace’s recent divorce. While that’s a less universal topic, everyone has experienced painful relationships and many of the songs are still relevant. Glad I’m Gone, a co-write with Gary Nicholson, eschews the folkie style of most of the cuts in favor of what I’m going to call a disco ballad. I Break Things is a sadder number, with a string arrangement and Speace’s beautiful vocals providing counterpoint to rage-filled reactions. Already Gone, a co-write with Robby Hecht, is just about the only non-autobiographical tune and it has more of a country leaning. Something Bout A Town lays down a CCR groove in an observation about always having lived near a river.
In my opinion, one of the hardest things to do for a songwriter is to tell a specific story in such a way as to elevate it to where virtually everyone can relate to it, regardless of their own experiences. Amy Speace has just that talent and it shines on The American Dream. Every time you listen to it, you’re surprised by something new and it’s somehow a better record than it was on the previous play.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.