Shelby Lynne
Suit Yourself
(Capitol)
First Appeared in The Music Box, July 2005, Volume 12, #7
Written by T.J. Simon
After several straightforward, country-oriented albums that went nowhere, Shelby Lynne found her voice — and a Grammy Award — with her 2000 make-over I Am Shelby Lynne, a wonderful disc that blended alt-country with Dusty Springfield-style, blue-eyed soul. It was followed by the commercial and critical disappointments Love, Shelby and Identity Crisis, both of which failed to recapture the magic of her breakout effort and largely went unnoticed by the public. Now, Lynne returns in good form with Suit Yourself, a 12-song, largely acoustic, blend of intimate alt-country, blues, and soul. While the outing’s highs don’t soar with the best moments of I Am Shelby Lynne, the new release is a consistent pleasure to the ears.
Lynne’s husky voice has the ability to convey stark emotional ground that likely comes from some dark places in her past. As a teenager, she and her sister (singer-songwriter Allison Moorer) witnessed their mother’s murder at the hands of their father, who then turned the gun upon himself. So, when Lynne sings a soulful, emotive ballad such as I Cry Everyday, it’s instantly credible and real. The disc’s opener Go With It is the collection’s best track, as she captures the southern soul sound to perfection. Other standout selections include the blues-y shuffle of You’re the Man and the Bonnie Raitt-inspired You Don’t Have a Heart.
While there’s nothing wrong with the straightforward acoustic country ballads on Suit Yourself, they tend to be nondescript and indistinguishable from the countless other female artists who are doing the same thing. Songs such as Sleep and Old Time’s Sake are technically flawless, but they lack that special something that is necessary for setting them apart from Lynne’s magical, soulful side. The best country moment on the disc is the subtle and understated Iced Tea, which invokes Willie Nelson’s approach to crafting a song, and it works like a charm. The album also contains a well-performed cover of Rainy Night in Georgia (listed simply as Track 12).
Another impressive element of Suit Yourself is that Lynne produced the
effort herself, and the mix is perfect. On future releases, Lynne would be wise
to distance herself further from standard country fare and instead emphasize her
soulful side, but in the meantime, there’s a lot to enjoy on Suit Yourself. 
½
Of Further Interest...
Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
Suit Yourself is available from Barnes & Noble.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box