Lady A have released the first chapter of their record – What a Song Can Do – here, we review the project and give our initial takeaway thoughts from this stunningly emotive album.
Stream the project here.
Lady A have today released What A Song Can Do (Chapter One), an artfully and thoughtfully created collection of songs that show the trio’s ability to continue to push their boundaries and continue to release quality material – both sonically and lyrically. For the project, the band spent a year in rediscovery mode, recommitting themselves to their original intention and the result is this newly refined sound. The seven-track ensemble, produced by Dann Huff and with each track penned by at least one member, reinvigorates their signature rich vocal harmony, vivid emotional writing in a smooth fusion of Country, rock and pop. It’s an uplifting project that offers solace and hope.
Of the project Hillary Scott shares, “There’s an interdependence that we have with each other, and music is at the center of that to me… We are all living in the now together…we’re all a work in progress, and that is what we wanted to share with these songs on the first chapter.” What A Song Can Do offers a look at this renewed appreciation for their music and friendship, a refreshingly honest self examination delivered through their tight signature harmonies. The title track – and early highlight track – says it all. Written by Charles Kelley alongside powerhouse songwriters Sam Ellis, Ryan Hurd and Laura Veltz, the trio sing in this charmingly relatable track about the ability of a song to move a listener.
‘It can make you dance and make you cry
Make you wanna give it one more try
Start a band, and kiss that girl
And break some rules
It’ll make you give your heart and get it back
Change your mind just like that
When it’s like every single line was written just for you
Ain’t it crazy what a song can do?’
Indeed, this record has it all – from the first track ‘Talk Of This Town’ and its ability to delve into heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on to ‘Like a Lady’ that is an excuse to dance out the toxins of hardships against women to ‘Things He Handed Down’ that offers a more sentimental look at parenthood and the lessons passed down from father to child to ‘Chance of Rain’ that reminds us not to play it safe in matters of life and love. This project covers huge emotional ground, given additional weight through the trio’s signature harmonies. It’s a weighty and emotionally balanced project. Given that some of their recent hits – ‘What If I Never Get Over You’ and ‘Champagne Night’ – were external cuts, the project is also a firm reminder that the trio are some of the best lyricists out there, accompanied for the creation of the project by some of the biggest names in Nashville songwriting, proving there isn’t an emotion a song can’t make you feel.
“Talk Of This Town” | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
“What A Song Can Do” | Charles Kelley, Sam Ellis, Ryan Hurd, Laura Veltz
“Like A Lady” | Hillary Scott, Dave Barnes, Michelle Buzz, Martin Johnson, Brandon Paddock
“Things He Handed Down” | Charles Kelley, Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett
“Fire” | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Justin Ebach
“Chance Of Rain” | Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Topher Brown, Justin Ebach
“Worship What I Hate” | Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, Natalie Hemby, Amy Wadge
