[.ca] I Am

From Amazon.co.uk:
One of the new breed of US crossover country stars, 30-year-old Shelby Lynne has a lived-in voice and the offhand grace of a southern steel magnolia. Although she recorded some albums in Nashville, it wasn't until she returned to her native Alabama that she made this, her debut for Mercury, and the one she is most proud of. Mixing lilting Southern soul with slide guitar country on tracks like "Leavin" and "Why Can't You Be", she has the same down-home, dead-sharp style of 1970s deep-soul sisters like Ann Peebles or Shirley Brown. There's also a touch of girl-group pop purity in songs like "Your Lies" and languid nostalgia on "Where I'm From", a wry tribute to a hometown that "ain't no Margaret Mitchell". Most powerful, though, is the acoustic reverie "Lookin' Up". When she was 17, Lynne's father killed her mother before shooting himself and that sense of personal tragedy seeps into this song, especially in the classic line: "I'm lookin' up for the next thing that brings me down". --Lucy O'Brien

The boldly named I Am Shelby Lynne may serve as an introduction to a gifted vocalist for most, but the one-time Nashville phenom has more than a decade of recording experience under her belt. Still, in many ways this is an introduction to a new talent. This time out, the Alabama-reared singer-songwriter refused to live up to anyone's expectations but her own, expertly melding soul, rock, pop, and country strains into an eye-opening set that demands to be addressed on its own terms. --Steven Stolder

near-perfect pop-country-soul-blues classic:
I love this unique melding of styles. Leavin` is as glorious as Al Green. Beautiful production, good strong songs, leaves you wanting more. In the days of vinyl, this would have been hailed as a perfect album and sold huge quantities.

The best CD ever!:
I consider myself well-rounded when it comes to music- I like it all. Country, rock, blues, rap, etc. But of all the CD's that I own, I Am Shelby Lynne is by far the best. Every track is different and wonderful. I have some of her others, which are okay, but this is a "must-have." Norah Who?

Shelby at her most expressive !:
Shelby Lynne is country muisic's ever changing template chameleon. She backs down from no one and quite possibly doesn't give a damn where her music takes her. A raunchy title alike "I Am Shelby Lynne" sounds more like a name for a late night infomercial then the work of a musical experimentation. Don't be fooled , listen ! Lynne's frustration and hostility in these songs could be as autobiographical as any musician attempts to portray with their music. I also find it convincing that Lynne is one extremly rare artist where no matter what genre she is expressing in her music it never sounds artificial. Everytime I hear the somber "Life Is Bad", I often wonder if Mick Jagger forgot to add it to the set list of "Exile On Main St.". Many artists will claim to be expressive with musical individuality but only the good one's actually have an identity. Lynne's songwriting, along with help from Producer Bill Bottrell strongly emphases its collaboration. At no point do I feel distraught with this record. Lynne has an ear for music, something that should never be taken for granted in an era where musicians are bombs and the importance sometimes lacks control. Serious art should't be denied but sometimes you can't always get what you want. Lynne tries, she deeply ventures into areas unknown. That's all I can say about any attained artist.

Good album:
Shelby Lynne's career really took off with this album. After years of trying to break through in Nashville, she went away from her country stylings to this. Working with Bill Botrell, they crafted this album which is a piece of soul, pop, rock, and country all in one that is all Shelby's style. The production is a little overdone at times, but the songs make up for it. Comparisons are easy to make, the influences are obvious at times on the set, but she gives it her own flair. She wrote all the songs here, there's not a dud among any of the 10 songs. Favorites of mine include Leavin, Thought It Would Be Easier, Life Is Bad, Black Light Blue, and Why Can't You Be. A really eclectic and interesting album.

Buried Treasure:
I'm one of those people that has an infinite number of cd's and it's still not enough ..... I love music!! So I'm forever digging through the archives and that's when I found this buried treasure. I love the songs, the emotion it evokes from her powerful and heartfelt delivery. It is easliy one of my 10 all time favorites.

• Your Lies
• Leavin'
• Life Is Bad
• Thought It Would Be Easier
• Gotta Get Back
• Why Can't You Be?
• Lookin' Up
• Dream Some
• Where I'm From
• Black Light Blue