Music In My Heart
Music City, 2017
8/10
After a 6 year hiatus from recorded music, the veteran country star Charley Pride returned with this batch of new tunes that are planted right in the heart of the traditional country sounds that he built his 50+ year career on.
“New Patches” starts the album with soulful country as twang and melody meet at a very warm place, and “Make Me One More Memory” follows with a quicker pace of rural sounds as Pride’s emotive vocals highlight the thoughtful landscape.
Near the middle, “The Same Eyes That Always Drove Me Crazy” offers a bouncy spirit amid the timeless song craft that embraces steel guitar, while “I Learned A Lot” enters ballad territory and flows with a soothing quality of dreamy songwriting. “The Way It Was in ‘51”, a Merle Haggard tune and one of the album’s best, then displays all the hallmarks of classic country that we will never tire of.
Close to the end, “Standing In My Way” uses pedal steel in strategic ways alongside the pensive environment, and the playful setting of “Music In My Heart” exits the listen with sing-alongs present in the immediately memorable execution.
Pride recorded this aptly titled album right before he turned 80 years old, and it doesn’t appear that his skill, sincerity and heartfelt approach have waned one bit. Certainly one of the most revered icons in the history of country music, Pride proves again that some things just get better with age.
Travels well with: Bobby Bare- Great American Saturday Night; Randy Travis- Precious Memories