Julie Roberts - Roberts, Julie (CD 2004)

Country & Western music like all American born and bred music is not immune to the ever capricious taste of the public, and in order to make money (and remain relevant) the genre has to cater to those needs. That means catering to the young among us even if that means diluting the very music the genre represents. C&W is heading that way, but there are a few exceptions to the norm. Julie Roberts is one of them.

I took a change on Ms. Robert s first self-titled album because I was hungry for something new and fresh out of Nashville. So after listening to a few snippets of her album on-line I bought it virtually unheard and I have not been disappointed. Julia Roberts (2004) the album is a rich folksy and engaging piece that hold close to tradition while still sounding germane to today s musical tastes.

A native of Lancaster, South Carolina, Ms. Robert s possesses a deep, rich, smoky voice that reminds me a little of Bonnie Raitt in tone and tenor. And she is not afraid to use it to seduce or express outrage and emotion. But even as Ms. Robert s gave us hints of her vocal range, I could sense there was much more under the surface, restrained for whatever reason, and I was itching to hear it, but alas it remained largely untapped.

Nonetheless I was and am very taken with this CD and it has won a place in my car 6-deck player, long-term CD collection. From the opening track You Ain t Down Home, to the last The Chance, Ms. Roberts delivers the good her good looks and glossy veneer only hint out. The CD has something for almost everyone; track No. 2 Break Down Here, the CD s first single, is classic contemporary C&W full of heart ache, liberation, and the soul of a strong woman down wrong.

Track No.4 Unlove Me is a surprising little song that I think all of us can relate to, while the other release from this CD, track No. 6 Wake Up Older is one of my favorite songs on the CD, wherein Ms. Roberts once again wronged really displays the power of her voice, but just so

On one track after another Julie Roberts delivers as strong palette of music designed to appeal to die hard C&W fans and those who might like their Country music a little more down home. To that end there are a lot of traditional C&W musical underpinning throughout Julie Roberts, like its heavy acoustic guitar licks, bass and rhythm. But there is also heavy use of the piano one softer numbers; I found the inclusion of this more classical instrument a welcome addition and it added to the appeal of this well produced and written CD. And speaking of writing, the songs on this CD are for mature audiences only; they life experiences as yet felt by those who might not have reached their 25th birthday.

I am glad I took a change on Julie Roberts, the album and the woman; the music speaks to my soul the way music should and of course it help that the woman is most pleasant to look at.

Track Listing:

1. You Ain't Down Home
2. Break Down Here
3. Pot Of Gold
4. Unlove Me
5. Just 'Cause We Can
6. Wake Up Older
7. If You Had Called Yesterday
8. No Way Out
9. I Can't Get Over You
10. Rain On A Tin Roof
11. The Chance