What a Song Can Do

グラミー賞ではお馴染みの存在!カントリーポップ・グループ=レディ・アンテベラムがジョージ・フロイド事件後、グループ名をレディ・Aへと改名して放つ新作。

本作は彼らの特徴である、ルーツ音楽志向のポップ・ミュージックと感動的なハーモニーとの融合を推し進めた快作!

What a Song Can Do, the title track of Lady As ninth album, is a testament to the power of music, how it can function, among other things, like a time machine, therapy, affirmation, or seduction. Its a sentiment that rings true yet also puts into perspective how the trio works with a relatively limited aural palette on What a Song Can Do. The 14 songs never deviate from the middle of the road, a path they follow with the urgency of a Sunday afternoon drive. Occasionally, the tempo picks up a little -- Like a Lady is a deliberate homage to the stomping arena-country of Shania Twain -- but even then, the contours are smooth and shiny; its soft and comforting, not stirring. This blend of country-pop and adult contemporary is Lady As comfort zone and, if anything, the trio sound a shade too comfortable on What a Song Can Do. Apart from some heavily electronic rhythms -- most notable on Friends Dont Let Friends, which ropes Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Darius Rucker in for support -- there arent any new wrinkles in the formula; theres no attempt to try something new. That doesnt necessarily mean What a Song Can Do sounds stuffy or stiff. Lady A and producer Dann Huff are sharp pros, so they give the arrangements enough room to be breezy and help keep the melody in the forefront -- tricks that make for a very pleasant listen, even if it is quite a familiar one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

社会意識の変化を受けてレディ・アンテベラムから改名した人気トリオだが、心機一転となる今回も情熱的な男女ヴォーカルとアーシーな音世界で紡ぐ王道ぶりは変わらず。保守的とされる世界で大成功したがゆえの難しさを打破し、軽快な80年代サウンドに乗せた"Like A Lady"では自立した女性像を強調するなど、時代に対応する姿勢も明快だ。前作『Ocean』からプロデュースを続投したダン・ハフの安定感は言わずもがな。
bounce (C)轟ひろみ