Music Review

Songbird (2006)

Willie Nelson

Reviewed by Jody Rosen | Oct 30, 2006

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EW's GRADE

A-

Details Release Date: Oct 31, 2006; Lead Performance: Willie Nelson; Genre: Country/Bluegrass

$FULL NELSON Songbird is the best American ballad singer\'s best album in a good long while Willie Nelson$

Image credit: Willie Nelson: Jim Herrington

FULL NELSON Songbird is the best American ballad singer's best album in a good long while

America's greatest living ballad singer is notoriously inconsistent — just listen to last year's ghastly reggae experiment, Countryman. But Songbird, a collaboration with Ryan Adams (who produced and lent his backing band) is Willie Nelson's finest in a decade. The sound is burly, surrounding his inimitable lilt with shuddering electric guitars. But the slow and stately stuff really sparkles, such as a weirdly menacing cover of ''Amazing Grace'' and the new Nelson composition ''Back to Earth,'' which proves the old troubadour can still write the best weepers around.

Originally posted Oct 27, 2006 Published in issue #905 Nov 03, 2006 Order article reprints

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