Lori McKenna: "Unglamorous"

Singer/songwriter Lori McKenna recently released her new album, “Unglamorous.”  She traveled from her home in Stoughton, MA. to a Nashville recording studio, to put a country spin on her new CD. 

After Faith Hill picked up several of her songs for her “Fireflies” album, including the fan favorite, “Stealing Kisses,” McKenna was invited to open for this year’s Soul2Soul II tour with Hill and Tim McGraw – including too sold out shows for the hometown Boston crowd.  She then tapped into country record producer Byron Gallimore and McGraw to produce the new CD.

The new music has some twang, but really leans more toward McKenna’s folk roots. The title song holds a mirror up to her own life: 

“Unglamorous
Frozen dinner, jelly glass of wine
Tastes just fine
Two bread winners, five kids in short time with eyes like mine.”

It’s amazing that the mother of five has found the time, energy and courage to write and record all 11 songs on the CD, as well as performing with a national tour, but she has and she has done so remarkably well.  Many of the songs, especially “Witness to Your Life” and “How to Survive,” give the same message – life is hard, but with someone to love you can survive – an old, recurring theme in country music. “Drinkin’ Problem” has the most country feel to it as it describes how drinking hurts everyone, not just the drinker:

"I swear that every bottle you bring home
Leaves me felling that much more alone
Like a stranger to you
Ya, it’s my problem too.” 

“Unglamorous” isn’t a country album, but illustrates how close the folk and country music genres are. They both have songs that tell stories about every day life, wonderful guitar strumming and a wistful, natural sound. Don’t buy this CD as “country’ but do buy it to hear really fine folk music.