Mark Chesnutt
Heard It in a Love Song
(CBUJ)
First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2006, Volume 13, #11
Written by John Metzger
During the first half of the ’90s, Mark Chesnutt was a regular fixture within the upper echelon of the country music charts. As the decade progressed, however, the industry traded its new traditionalist twang for a more pop-oriented approach, and Chesnutt found it increasingly difficult to survive. Though he managed to achieve some semblance of crossover appeal with his cover of Diane Warren’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, he clearly had moved outside of his comfort zone. Even worse, the lack of focus that was instigated by his chasing the market meant that he no longer was able to sustain his knack for generating hits. Not surprisingly, he soon was dumped from MCA, and his subsequent tenure with Columbia was limited to a single self-titled outing.
Determined to stage a comeback, Chesnutt returned to more familiar terrain on
his 2004 effort Savin’ the Honky Tonk, and his latest outing Heard It
in a Love Song continues to traverse a similar path. Conceptually, his new
album serves as a tribute to his influences, and throughout the endeavor, he
tackles songs that were written by or have been associated with the likes of
George Jones (Apartment #9), Merle Haggard (A Shoulder to Cry On),
Waylon Jennings (Dreaming My Dreams with You), and Hank Williams (Lost
Highway). There’s little doubt that Chesnutt’s voice remains a remarkably
smooth and pliant instrument, and he uses it to tremendous effect on both the
honky-tonk groove of That Good That Bad as well as on the pedal
steel-drenched title track. Elsewhere, his backing band helps to keep Hank
Williams, Jr.’s You Can’t Find Many Kissers loose and playful, while
Aaron Till’s melancholy fiddle accompaniment wrings the teardrops from A Hard
Secret to Keep. The biggest problem with the collection undoubtedly is that
Chesnutt fails to leave his own imprint upon the material, but his mannerisms
are so effortlessly heartfelt and honest that Heard It in a Love Song
succeeds in its bid to provide an overview of classic country sounds. 
Heard It in a Love Song is available from
Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box