Sara Evans "Slow Me Down" Review

Since I've been working on the school newspaper, I've been doing a lot of reviews lately for concerts, albums and movies. I've also been doing recaps lately of Parenthood for PopWrapped. So, I feel like just about every form of art that I consume, I look at it a bit more critically than if I was just to watch or listen.

But, I digress…

Over the summer, I saw Sara Evans in concert (FOR FREE) at The Grove and was front row! Crazy, right? Anyway, it was such a fabulous concert from start to finish. She has a good voice, but her vocals really blew me away live. After hearing a couple of her new songs that night, I was very curious to hear the new album. Now that I've heard it…I'm obsessed! It's so good. 

Overall, I would say Sara has explored more of the pop elements in her voice, but most of the tunes still stay true to her country sound. Time for a breakdown of each song.

Slow Me Down//
Though, it's obviously a bit more pop, it still has her traditional sound, as well as some of the country essence in there. I heard this one back in July and really loved it!

Not Over You (Cover and duet with Gavin DeGraw)//
This is one of my favorite Gavin DeGraw songs, and while I do appreciate that he "duets" with her, it sounds more like he's just doing backgrounds. The arrangement and key she does it in seems a bit off for both of them to make work. 

Put My Heart Down//
I also heard her sing this one, and while it is a bit repetitive, it's SO catchy and you can't help but sing along. It's about knowing when a relationship, or more specifically someone, who is bad for you and just asking them to let go, so you can move on. But, it has a more positive message than "you broke my heart, I'm never going to be able to let this go." I also love that one of its writers was Liz Huett, who used to be one of Taylor Swift's back-up singers, and she is one of the sweetest people ever! This will probably be that one song you'll have stuck in your head for a week or so straight.

Can't Stop Loving You (with The Fray's Isaac Slade)//
This song has such a beautiful melody about what else? Love…It perfectly captures everything that one feels when they're in love or so I've heard. The strumming of guitar and the blending of Sara and Isaac's voices harmonizing are extremely easy on the ears.

You Never Know//
The intro has some rock flavor to it and almost sounds like it could've been a Jennifer Nettles song. There's a very sultry, bluesy feel towards the chorus and as the song builds. 

If I Run//
There's a sort of thematic element to this song that I just can't seem to get enough of. When I listen to it, I can picture it in the climax of a sweet romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts. I'm so rooting for this to become a single at some point. It starts off low and simple, then builds to something powerful and dramatic, where the narrator (or Sara herself) is laying her feelings all out on the line. 

Sweet Spot//
Pardon the pun, but again, this tune is sugary sweet, complete with "oooh's" and whistling in the background. It's the perfect theme for that couple who has finally found love and the right one that they want to spend the rest of their life with. I picture a couple sitting on the porch swing while the dog plays in the yard and the kids are screaming, but through it all, the couple makes it works and loves at the end of the day. 

Good Love Is Hard To Find//
Well, ain't that the truth?! This is one of the most "country" songs on the album,with a slow melody, starting off with an electric guitar and a banjo joining a few seconds later. I'm a very visual person when I listen to music, and I envision this one on lake with twinkling lights set up, while a couple dances at their wedding, meanwhile there's a young couple having a special moment to themselves on the dock not too far away, thinking that could be them somewhere in the future. This is definitely the kind of song you want played at your wedding. Another one I'd be rooting for as a single. It has everything a good country song is all about.

Better Off (feat. Vince Gill)//

In contrast to the last song, country music is all about heartbreak. This is a heartfelt ballad about a bad relationship that you're just simply better off without. Why pay attention to that guy any longer? It's just not worth the time. There's also more twang in her voice on this one, which I appreciate. I wish we could hear a little more of Vince Gill, but he always has such great background vocals, that true fans will still be able to spot him.

Gotta Have You//

This sounds like another traditional Sara Evans song. I would classify it as country/pop; another Jennifer Nettles sounding song. But don't let the slower melody at the beginning throw you off, as it builds with a mouthful of words that Sara rattles off with a steady beat and rhythm that will have you grooving. Catchy, fun, and colorful.

Revival//
Don't let the title fool you that it's going to resemble a hymn or end on a bit of more solemn note. If anything, it wraps everything about this album up with a shiny bow on top. It will make you want to put your robe and singing along with the "hallelujah's."Though it deals with faith and belief in God, everyone can relate to the universal theme of love and the miracles that life brings to each of us personally. There's even a bit of a banjo twanging away in the background which ties it all together.

The first half of the album seems to pay homage to the feel good, "poppy" sounding songs that make you want to dance and grab your loved ones, while the other half gives you those songs that tell a deep story and tug at your heart in deeper ways. You'll laugh. You'll smile. You'll tap your foot and bob your head along. You might even want to grab tissues to reminisce on past love.

Vocally, Sara is at her best and this could be just the beginning of really great things to come for her career. Do yourself (and your family) a favor and go BUY her CD! You won't regret it.

*****/***** --I give this 5/5 stars! I do hope this album gets her more recognition, because she really has a fantastic voice and the country music genre needs all the true vocalists that it can get.

That's all for now,
Shelby :)

5 Reasons That Yesterday Rocked My Socks Off (and also one of the longest blogs I'll probably ever write...PHEW)

"These are the moments, I thank God that I'm alive,

These are the moments, I'll remember all my life!"

This week, my dad's had some time off and it has been a wonderful time being able to have him around during the week, because that rarely happens. He works so much and hardly ever gets to take a vacation, but he was able to this week. We've been doing little things around the house and taking care of things that need to be done, and yesterday, we went to LA for the day, which honestly could not have been a better day...Unless, I would have casually bumped into someone like Sophia Bush...But, you know what I mean.

1. We took a tour of Warner Brothers Studios, and it doesn't matter how many times I've done it, I'm still so fascinated by the fast pace life of everyone putting their creative juices together to make something really magical in TV land...Or movie land! Every time you go is a little bit different than the last, whether it's stories and experiences your guide can offer or visiting different locations that weren't available last time due to filming.

At the beginning of the tour, they always ask for favorite shows of everyone on the tram. My mom and I told them Gilmore Girls and Pretty Little Liars, so our tour guide was great about spotting out places that had been used on those shows, and of course, many other famous locations as we went. Although, I felt like because we had been on the tour so many times, I could have given the tour or quickly told my parents other things we'd seen in the past, judging by the area we were in. We drove around the "New York" backlot complete with alley's, apartments, and even the subway station, or at least a facade that looks like it leads to one. It's pretty realistic from the idea of New York I have in my head (I've never been to the real thing...So the one in my mind will have to do for now!)

Hollis College (used on Pretty Little Liars)

We made a few turns, driving past the commissary that the Warner Brothers cast and crew can eat at for lunch, and was also used in an episode of Gilmore Girls when April and Luke go on a field trip with her school. After a few minutes of driving, we ended up in "the jungle" section of the lot. Before pulling into the long driveway, we saw several set walls on a truck for Hart of Dixie, as well as George's boat. We had been to parts of the jungle before, but because of Pretty Little Liars and Hart of Dixie are using new sets in that area, I was really excited to explore different parts of it. There's a cabin in the back that has been used on several occasions for Pretty Little Liars and is also the Rammer Jammer on Hart of Dixie. It's such a pretty area. I think if I worked on the lot, I'd sneak over there just for the shade. 

Jason and Ali's house from PLL!

As we left the jungle, we turned onto a street lined with cute little houses that looked like something out of a movie, which is fitting, because we WERE on a movie lot. But, the funny thing is that they aren't houses at all, but they're working offices for production, casting and writing, which is where a lot of the meat of the show and magic really takes place. I love the fact that Warner Brothers uses EVERYTHING on the lot, whether it's a random tree or a pretty building. All of the sets are so versatile for whatever they need. 

Christopher's house (Gilmore Girls), Hanna's house (Pretty Little Liars) and also the writing office of Friends all 10 seasons. 

I believe this was the PLL writing office??

We pulled around and ended up in the "midwest", which is a small town setting that can be used as anywhere, USA. Also known as my favorite part of the lot, because two of my favorite shows have used it as a big portion of their backdrop, which would be Stars Hollow, CT and Rosewood, PA. We parked the tram for a few minutes and were able to wander around the streets for a bit. So, of course, I snapped several selfies wherever the opportunity presented itself-past store fronts, Rosewood High, Rosewood City Hall, the Growing Pains house, and of course, a staple in town, the church. I've been in the town square so many times, it's really starting to feel like a real functioning town...Ah, if only. We walked down another side street and into the house of Sookie St. James (Gilmore Girls), where we observed how the inside of a TV house worked and how different it is, judging by the ceiling, fake wood flooring and other features that just wouldn't work while filming. We walked around to the back porch, and suddenly we were on the steps of Lorelai and Rory's house. On the last tour we took there a couple years ago, they told us how the Gilmore and Sookie's house were connected, but it was cool actually being able to walk right through it. We had several minutes looking around the yard, and I just had to be the last one finishing taking pictures, because I'd never gotten a picture in front of Babette's house...oops! That was a little awkward as everyone stared, waiting to walk back out. YOLO! So, after we walked back out to the front and completing a circle around "town", we got back on the cart and continued our
tour.

                                              

The back of the PLL church!

We drove past the strip of sound stages and important looking people on mission, and went inside the automobile museum. It has a range of famous cars from Get Smart, Scooby Doo, and Chuck to Harry Potter and the Batmobiles. We glanced around, but didn't take many pictures this time around and opted out of the free photo, since we aren't Potterheads. Then, we went into the prop house, which is filled with thousands of artifacts and memorabilia from shows and movies over the years. The coolest thing about it is that you don't have to work on the lot or even be in the industry to rent props from the warehouse...So, if you want to throw a party and have some cool items to impress your guests, all you have to bring is the money! ;) My favorite part of that portion of the tour is always the famous Friends couch and Central Perk set. I love that they've preserved everything and it has stayed the same since the show went off the air in 2004, except for the guitar that Phoebe played in the coffee shop, because Lisa Kudrow took that home with her when they wrapped the series.

Pretty Little Liars was filming around the area at a soundstage nearby us, but we never saw anyone, unfortunately, which was a bummer! I kept my eyes peeled, though. I did see a prop full of trucks outside setting some things up and taking things out; probably things they were using for those certain scenes being filmed in stage 7.
We hopped back on the cart, and stopped at one of the sound stages, which happened to be for the set of Two Broke Girls. I've never seen the show, but I always love getting to see how different shows' setup works and to hear stories of how they do things, because each one is different.
At the end of the tour, they let us wander through another museum filled with costumes and props from some of their most popular shows and movies, including my favorites: Gilmore Girls, The Vampire Diaries and One Tree Hill, so I was pretty much freaking out and wishing they would let us take pictures, but security was way too tight to even think about sneaking it. There were also costumes from Gatsby, Crazy/Stupid Love, Batman, Smallville, The Big Bang Theory, and more.
After we wrapped up the tour, we drove past some of the sets/stages we had passed earlier and back across the street to the gift store/check in area.

2. After WB, I wanted to drive by Paramount Studios to see if they had done anything in honor of Cory Monteith's passing, so we did. There was a small area where you could see fans had left cards, posters, and flowers, but the thing that hurt to see the most was the Glee foam finger. I just remember taking the tour a couple years ago and hearing what a great guy he was from the tour guide and me really wishing that they had been filming that day so I could've ran into him. It definitely made it more real. I'm not gonna lie, it has really been weighing heavily on my heart and mind this week, and judging by the social media...I'm not the only one.

3. By that time, we were starving for lunch, so we decided to eat at Mel's Diner, because it has been on my list of "places to try in LA" for quite some time now. It wasn't busy, so we got right in. Obviously, it's a diner, so it has things like sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, etc. I had a turkey melt, which was pretty good, just a little dry...and it came with potato salad, which was delicious; had a bit of a kick with bell peppers and other seasonings. SO GOOD!

4. After we finished eating, we had several hours to kill, so my dad suggested Runyon Canyon. I was all for that, but the downside is that we never seemed to be dressed for the occasion, so we always look a little out of place, but it was still just as fun. We didn't walk as far as we did last time, but we took in the sunshine and soaked up the gorgeous view of the city for a few minutes. I also loved the fact that it wasn't busy either, so there was room to spread out a little more.

5. After spending some time in the heat, I was quickly crashing and dying for some sugar. We didn't have anything else in mind, so we just decided to get to The Grove a little earlier. After spending so much time there after American Idol and signings, I thought I'd get a little bored, but there's always something to do there. First, we walked across the street to get VIP passes for the Sara Evans concert, then got yogurt at Pinkberry, which is seriously the best (well, at least tied with Sweet Cece's)! It was tasty and refreshing; we sat at the tables and relaxed for a few minutes, then walked around to look at a few stores. I spent awhile in Barnes and Noble...I seriously just love books! I ended up buying a writer's devotional, which I'm really excited about trying out and practicing my writing techniques. 

We also took a little ride on the trolley, which we'd never done before; always fun for people watching!

Around 6:30, we checked in at the table in front of the stage; got our wristbands and got FRONT ROW to see Love'N'Theft and Sara Evans...and did I mention it was FREE?! Cause it was. Does it get any better than that? An announcer came out and talked to the crowd a little to get everyone warmed up and music was playing over the loudspeakers. We got settled in, and pretty soon the show started up. Love'N'Theft took the stage with a short acoustic set, which seemed to really get the crowd singing along and having a great time. They sang their radio hits and a couple new songs that I'm really digging! The weather was perfect and it was a really great night for good music and good company. I didn't have a care in the world. 

Finally, Sara came out and I was really excited! She sang just about all of my favorite songs and did a few covers on some of my favorite songs at the moment, including, "When I Was Your Man," "Just Give Me A Reason" and "Everybody Talks." I mean, she seriously can sing anything! I'm really glad she has new music coming out, because she totally deserves to be up for some of those awards! Great entertainer, incredible singer, and seriously good music. She sings with such emotion and heart in her voice too. "A Little Bit Stronger" definitely almost had me in tears. It was so cute to see her daughters off to the side, singing along and copying her every move. Maybe we'll see them in the music biz someday! OH! I also can't forget the fact that Vince Vaughn was not too far away from us at the concert...I'm not a huge fan of his at all, really, but you never know who you're going to see around there. I only saw him for the first song or two, and then I think he took off. 

When the concert ended, we went up to the stage and I was able to get the set list! I was super happy about that and have now added it to the back of my door with autographs and passes. 

We drove home after that, grabbing food at Jack-In-The-Box and listening to Sara Evans in the car! I was having some crazy emotions, because a couple songs made me quietly tear up again as I sang along to every word. It had me thinking a lot about life and some of the events that have taken place this week and how I want to really live. I'm tired of taking the backseat in my own life and just watching life pass me by, waiting for that golden opportunity when I can take action even in little things right now.

I went to sleep last night feeling very blessed, and I will be holding the day very close to my heart.

That's all for now,
Shelby