Carrie has been around music all of her
30 years. Her father is David Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter
from Texas, and her grandmother's sister, Eva Garza, was
a 1950s-era singer and performer for Decca Records.
You might say that music is in her DNA. Her success so far
has come with hard work and dedication. She had found critical
acclaim through her collaboration with Chip Taylor. The
pair released three great albums together. Chip Taylor is
very good, but Carrie and her voice stood out. Her first
solo album, Seven Angels on a Bicycle, was released in 2006
and brought a great deal of attention to her as an artist.
With the new album, She
Ain't Me, she shows us that she is more then ready
to stand in the spotlight. Although she has left Chip behind,
she finds comfort in writing songs with other talented songwriters.
So collaborated with some of the best, including Gary Louris
(Jayhawks), Jim Boquist (Son Volt), Mary Gauthier, and Dan
Wilson (Semisonic). Together they helped Carrie to write
a truly great album.
For the most part, this creation fits in the new country
genre. On the songs "Infinite Night" and "El Dorado," composed
with Gary Louris, you can hear alt-country at its best.
Dan Wilson, who also wrote a hit song with the Dixie Chicks,
adds his gift for writing great melodies to the title track.
Even though this song is about a subject that has been done
a million times before, they give it a fresh look. The approach
on this song is one of triumph over infidelity by having
the self-confidence to proclaim, "Cause Whoever Miss Whoever
is … She Ain't me."
The catchy lyrics are paired with a nice poppy musical track.
With the song "Rag Doll," you find Carrie taking the biggest
risk on the album, starting off slowly with a soft acoustic
guitar and vocals as vulnerable as a child. It soon builds
into a full chorus that grows into a more mature-sounding
vocal. The depth of the performance is captivating. It works
because the lyrics were pulled from deep within. It's as
if she didn't realize what she truly felt until the moment
she first sang it in the studio. It is moments like that
which makes this album well worth a listen. She may have
started as just a fiddle player but she has grown into a
star.
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