Review: Glenna Bell - The Road Less Traveled

Label: CD Baby

Released: January 8, 2008

The first thing you notice about Glenna Bell's music is her voice. It can be delicate and bold, rich and breathy. She has this amazing vibrato that you can feel as much as hear. It would make for great country music even if the songs were awful. But they're not awful, they're actually quite good. The first half of the record is largely traditional, made up mostly of country waltzes that allow Bell to really exercise her voice. Her band does better with the slower, understated material while they miss, if only slightly, with the low-key rock n roll shuffle of "Can't Get My Mind Off You."

Two covers in the middle of the album are the only miscues. Bell's take on Willie Nelson's "The Family Bible" is too measured and planned. On "Jackson," Bell and male vocalist Johnny Bush do their best June and Johnny. While it's very good, it can't compare to the definitive version. With her voice, she could easily have made the song her own to avoid a comparison and let it stand on its own. These are both adequate covers, but next to everything that precedes and follows, they are at best a lull in the album.

While the first half showed Bell can play in the realm of old school country, the second half shows that she can modify that a little and appeal to indie rock fans as well without giving any ground on the traditional front. The quirky, dark humor of "How I Found Out I'm Insane" is grounded in a lazy shuffle and talking vocals. "Shiner Bock & ZZ Top" is an off-kilter, but colorful ode to the simplicity of living for today. Her narrative approach to speaking out against suburban sprawl on "La Casa Que Yo Amo" presents a human story that is easy to feel as much as hear. The Road Less Traveled saves its best for last. "Be My Valentine (on Christmas)" is not just a clever holiday song, but perhaps the best vehicle for Bell's amazing voice. While the music still grounds these songs in country's long tradition, their lyrics have a more modern appeal that should allow Bell to capitalize on the broadest spectrum of Americana's fan base.

While the beautiful shakiness of her vibrato may be The Road Less Traveled's most striking element, the songwriting should not be overlooked. Bell has subtly brought pop elements and indie quirkiness into a fine collection of songs that tap into a long musical tradition that goes back well beyond Bell's own years. Other than the covers, the album ranges from very good to downright brilliant.

Rating: 8/10

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