29: Written In Stone "- extended version of Carly Pearce's EP (Album Review) [English Version]

 I haven't been here for a long time 😏. Today, however, I want to write about the new Carly Pearce album "29: Written In Stone", which was released on September 17, 2021. This is the artist's third full album, which is an extended version of her EP "29" released on February 19, 2021.

 The album consists of 15 tracks:

1. Diamondback** - I like the intro of the song. It sounds a bit like a mix of country and jazz (that's my opinion) which makes for a great combination. The singer's voice sounds firm. It's a song from the perspective of a woman who doesn't want to go back to her ex. An interesting fact is that the song was co-composed by Kelsea Ballerini - a famous country singer.

2. What He Didn't Do** - as the singer sings, when something is wrong, eg divorce, everyone asks what happened or what did the partner do, etc. In this composition, the narrator presents the opposite version, i.e. what her beloved didn't do.

3. Easy Going** - nice intro of the song. It is a break-up song where the author admits that thanks to her ex-partner's behavior it was "easy" to reconcile with the breakup. At the end of the song, you can hear the great sound of the instruments.

4. Dear Miss Loretta** - this is a duo with the famous country artist Patty Loveless. To me, this song sounds like 90s Country songs. It is a tribute to the legend of the genre, Loretta Lynn. Carly Pearce thus shows the influence of the artist's work. Carly and Patty's voices complement each other perfectly.

5. Next Girl* -  the first single promoting the album. Musically, the song resembles Country compositions from the 90s. The narrator "warns" another girlfriend of her ex-partner against him.

6. Should've Known Better* - without a doubt, this is a song about a failed relationship. I like the musical arrangement of this song.

7. 29* - in my opinion this is the best composition you can hear on this album. You can hear emotions in the artist's voice, which makes the piece very touching.

8. Never Wanted To Be That Girl** - this is a duet with the great Country artist Ashley McBryde, who is also the co-author of the song. I think (almost) every Country fan knows "Does He Love You" performed by the legends of the genre: Reba McEntire and Linda Davis? Personally, I think it is a modern version of the said composition. It is a story of a wife / girlfriend and a lover who cannot come to terms with the fact that they have been deceived by the same man. Carly and Ashley's voices sound almost the same, but when I first listened to the song, I had a hard time telling who was singing the verse or the chorus.

9. Your Drinkin', My Problem** - despite the energetic musical arrangement, it is a sad story where the narrator faces loneliness and all the problems while her partner has a great time.

10. Liability* - the words are catchy and I like the musical arrangement used here. You can notice the irony of the narrator who "admires" her partner's ability to lie. The artist intentionally uses two words that sound similar: liability  and lie ability

11. Messy* - I personally like this song a lot. The words are catchy. The narrator "says" that it is difficult to move on after a hard event, eg after a breakup.

12. Show Me Around* - a song dedicated to the former producer of Carly's albums - busbee, who died in 2019. A song that in my opinion shows perfectly the artist's compositional, musical and vocal abilities and is very touching (at least for me).

13. Day One* - another song that concerns the breakup. More like the narrator's plans to deal with a break-up with a loved one if she survives the first day after the event.

14. All The Whiskey In The World** - it is a song in which the narrator makes her ex-partner aware that no matter how he tries (in this case by drinking whiskey), he will not be able to forget what they had in common.

15. Mean It This Time** - I think this is Carly's personal message after the divorce. This song gives you hope that you can count on a good ending even after difficult situations

 Carly Pearce shares her unfortunately negative experiences in her life. However, instead of keeping them [emotions] in her, she released a great album (formerly an EP) and conveyed them in the songs that we can hear on the mentioned album. All the compositions reflect the situations in which a woman has found herself or may find herself. It is worth noting that the artist reveals her wonderful vocal and compositional abilities.

  I rate this album 4.7 / 5. 

 JP.

* - songs released in the EP  

** - new songs