LeAnn Rimes’ “Spitfire” Draws Strong Reactions
After a six year wait to release an album of original material at the mercy of Curb Records’ career-shattering and sometimes illegal talent retention program, prolonging the release process for artists on their final album with the label nearly indefinitely, the embattled and bruised LeAnn Rimes has finally released Spitfire—a diverse country pop record with a few interesting moments, a few moments that are not so interesting, but an intriguing mix of content and influences that is worth a deeper sniff than your average Music Row fare.
These days with so many of country music’s women setting the bar higher and higher in regards to quality and progressiveness of content, you almost can’t discount any country female project without a closer investigation. As the men try to outpace each other in their headlong dash to see who can reach the newest low in country on a daily basis, the women are doing everything they can to keep country out of the dirt road ditch. And after all, you have to be a pretty hard critic to not hear some of those very first LeAnn Rimes hits like “Blue” and not feel a stirring in your country heart and keep hope that LeAnn will at some point in her career re-discover her original, unblemished magic.
But LeAnn Rimes has been her own worst enemy over the past few years. A big glossy magazine cover story cheating scandal erupted for her a few years ago, and more recently a strange story about her tipping off photographers to where to snap her wearing a bikini in hopes to draw positive pub. When you’re a bona-fide superstar at 14-year-old, it can do strange things to the psyche, and that is what we’ve seen with LeAnn over the years. One minute she wants the cameras to respect her privacy, and another she wants their focus.
The chatter around Spitfire has been polarizing to darn near bellicose, with the main focus being the album’s lack of commercial appeal. While in the mainstream world this accusation might be poison, to independent country fans this is a flag that maybe this album is one of those rare Music Row gems, similar to Kellie Pickler’s 100 Proof from 2012. But what you get with Spitfire is an album that is neither here nor there, resting in sort of the demilitarized zone of country music where neither the mainstream nor independent world really want to claim it or sing its praises.
But when stripped down to just the songs, there is still some material on Spitfire worthy of both mainstream and independent ears. The second song on the album “What Have I Done” is surprisingly mellow, subtle, and artistic, without being sappy or mawkish like many mainstream ballads can veer towards. It’s a sincere little song right off the bat that let’s you know that Spitfire is not going to be some cookie cutter album. It also sets the tone in the album of LeAnn directly addressing her now well-chronicled infidelity, giving Spitfire a personal feel. And then how does LeAnn follow this up? With another song that delves into these very same subjects, and with a similar understated and artistic approach in “Borrowed” that is brushed with mournful steel guitar.
But in between these songs is the busy and overdone “Gasoline and Matches.” Just like the title track of the album, it tries too hard to evoke this overused theme in modern pop country of badass women oversinging songs that always involve fire in some way and that completely sap any soul out of a composition. As complimentary as one can be about female country in 2013, this audio equivalent to three snaps in a ‘Z’ formation is as unsavory as it gets to the active music listener, and so is the oversinging that usually accompanies it. This formula rears its ugly head again in the very rhythmic, almost rapping “You Ain’t Right.” Though you can hear how the lyrics would be a fun listen for some women, these songs illustrate that in female pop country in 2013, it’s not what you sing, but how you sing it, squeezing in silly, acrobatic vocal runs that ruin the story of the song, ignore the sweet spot of the singer’s range, and stretch the song’s pocket until it just comes across as saccharine diva-ish show-offidness. It’s the singing competition show influence on popular music.
Another song from Spitfire that has some people talking is “I Do Now.” The track mentions Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and delves into how you may love classic country artists and their songs when you’re young, but never really understand the subject matter until you’ve lived through the themes yourself. Though the story of the song works very well, once again LeAnn’s vocal approach centers your attention around her singing, and will keep traditional country fans that the song would otherwise appeal to at arm’s length.
And that is pretty much how Spitfire goes. It may be too heady for a wide mainstream audience, but there’s a little too much fluff to enact a resurgence of LeAnn’s traditionalist roots. Or, if you want to see the glass half full, there’s a little something for everyone. Maybe this album was destined to be misunderstood, and seeing how it has fallen pretty precipitously in the charts, this would seem to be a proper diagnosis (though it may be just as much a commentary on Mike Curb’s eroding powerbase). But instead of letting one song or LeAnn’s personal missteps outside of music turn you off of this album, if you’re subject to liking some of the music coming from the mainstream when it’s not positively awful, you may want to give Spitfire a fair glance and decide for yourself.
1 1/4 of 2 guns up.
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Preview & Purchase tracks from Spitfire
Two guns up on the two songs below.
Keith L.
July 29, 2013 @ 12:52 pm
Agreed. She needs to keep that “Patty Griffin/ Living With Ghosts” album on the “repeat” mode in her iPod.
RWP
July 29, 2013 @ 2:21 pm
Heck my wife had her last cd,(not the country covers,the one before that) I thought she had some good stuff on it and was maybe going to settle down with a more consistent country approach..Then she went to coo-coo land..
One thing you can’t take away from the girl is that voice.Damn.
Jack Williams
July 29, 2013 @ 3:15 pm
I gave a listen to Gasoline and Matches, since I figured it might the Buddy and Julie Miller song from their “Written in Chalk” album (it is). Not only does she oversing it, but lead guitarist Jeff Beck WAY overplays it, as is his wont. And doing the male vocal is the Matchbox guy Rob Thomas, who has always just annoyed the fuck out of me. Wonder if he’s going country any time soon?
Trigger
July 29, 2013 @ 4:12 pm
Every single thing about that song is overdone. I’m sure stripped down the song is fine.
emfrank
July 29, 2013 @ 6:38 pm
Buddy and Julie’s version has a touch of that country funk you were talking about in the Cale article. One of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCT17rUr_Jo
Karen
July 29, 2013 @ 4:04 pm
I liked Blue a lot.
She has a better voice than most, but is it just me, or does anyone else have trouble understanding what she is singing?
Trigger
July 29, 2013 @ 4:11 pm
I have trouble when she oversings. You really don’t even know what the song is about. It’s just a bunch of vocal runs and the message gets lost. When she sings like she sings in the two videos above, it’s perfect.
Acca Dacca
July 30, 2013 @ 12:34 pm
So does this mean that she’s free from Curb Records at last? I thought she had just taken a break from recording, not that she was being oppressed by her label. Guess that’s why I come to SCM; I learn new things about my favorite music every day.
Speaking of new albums by older acts, Alabama has a new record to be released in August, Trigger. I know that they’re not exactly your favorite group, but I’d love to see a review, given that I like the band and it seems as though they’ll be pandering to the teenage crowd once again (as when they paired with *NSYNC in the early 2000s). The album is called “Alabama & Friends” and features re-recordings of several of Alabama’s hits, with guest appearances by Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eli Young Band, Florida Georgia Line, Jamey Johnson, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Trisha Yearwood. To be honest, I’m dreading the record; I absolutely loathe about half of those “artists.”
http://www.amazon.com/Alabama-Friends/dp/B00DPKQBFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375212616&sr=8-1&keywords=alabama+%26+friends
Trigger
July 30, 2013 @ 12:59 pm
There’s probably a grace period, maybe until the end of the year, or a year after she released this album before she will be officially done, but yes, she should be done with Curb. 4-6 is the common wait time at the moment for artists to release their final album with Curb. That is how long it took for Tim McGraw, Lyle Lovett, and others, which is ironic because once Curb released an album from LeAnn of cobbled together material from different projects because she was contractually obligated to release at least one album per year. Leann came out publicly against the album, and this was the first major blowup against Curb that started the cycle we are in now. Leann never said anything publicly against Curb as she waited out her 6 year sentence, though there were a few hints here and there. Aready being sideways with public sentiment, maybe she decided it wasn’t worth fighting that fight. But I can’t imagine ant artist in the prime of their career wanting to wait six years between original projects.
Acca Dacca
July 30, 2013 @ 1:16 pm
Hmm, I didn’t realize that she started the backlash against Curb. I always thought that it was Tim McGraw. And what of Alabama? Had you heard of that album, yet?
Trigger
July 30, 2013 @ 2:46 pm
Have not heard the album yet, nor the other tribute that has a bunch of independent acts covering Alabama songs. I’m sure I’ll have something to say about one or the other at some point.
You may find this interesting.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/the-official-mike-curb-rap-sheet-of-transgressions
Acca Dacca
July 30, 2013 @ 4:46 pm
Yeah, I’ve scanned over that article in the past. I mainly paid attention to sections that concerned artists that are on my radar (such as Hank Jr.) and ones that have interested me at certain points but never really kept my attention (McGraw). LeAnn Rimes has (for whatever reason) never been on my radar, so those happened to be sections that I skipped. Typically I read the entirety of your articles, but that was an exception. If I have time, I’ll be sure to catch up on the sections I skipped.
And “Alabama & Friends” isn’t a so much a tribute album as it is the band testing the modern country music waters before taking the plunge (or so it seems to me). As I understand it, Alabama is appearing on each of these new versions with the aforementioned new artists that are contributing. Even if I’m wrong there, Amazon has two new Alabama songs included in the track listing which don’t include contributions from the other artists. To be honest, I’m really hoping you see fit to review or rant about this album. It was a complete slap in the face when I learned that not only was Jason “Monotone” Aldean “contributing,” but Luke “Country Girl” Bryan and Kenny “Beach Music” Chesney are as well. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t necessarily have anything against Florida Georgia Line, but I’ll be pissed if their version of Alabama’s “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” is released to radio and I have to deal with a bunch of idiot teenagers claiming that it’s “FGL’s song” (or worse, if they decide to remix it with a rapper). Also disconcerting is that Toby Keith is contributing. He used to have some fairly decent music but the entirety of his singles output for the last year and a half have all been songs about beer. I don’t think that Alabama has any songs about beer so hopefully he won’t mess his song up. Though I know you aren’t promising anything, I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the album, should it come to fruition.
matt2
July 30, 2013 @ 4:48 pm
There are two tribute albums being released. One douche bag mainstream artist album which will be terrible; one independent artist album. I heard Jason Isbell and John Paul White’s version of “Old Flame” and it was killer. Can’t wait to hear OCM version of “Dixieland Delight.”
Kevin
August 1, 2013 @ 1:18 pm
“As the men try to outpace each other in their headlong dash to see who can reach the newest low in country on a daily basis, the women are doing everything they can to keep country out of the dirt road ditch.”
Thank you for saying this.
dorkarama
August 3, 2013 @ 7:01 am
I really like her voice and those live-in-the-studio performances with Steve Jordan and Dan Tyminksi in the band are tremendous. More like that would be awesome.
Richard Phillips
September 18, 2013 @ 12:40 pm
love spitfire, wonderful songs from a great singer, one of the best in the business.
Richard A. PHILLIPS
April 5, 2016 @ 3:59 pm
Country music is not country music without LeAnn Rimes, she is the most talented and gifted singer-song writer of our time. These so called country singers of today can’t sing and have little or no talent. Bring back LeAnn, we need her to save country music and no one can do Patsy Cline songs like her. She is a classic singer.
Richard A. Phillips
June 3, 2018 @ 9:02 am
Spitfire cd is truly country not like the songs of today of which are just not country at all. Leann Rimes wrote many of the Spitfire songs and she is truly talented at writing and she is the best country singer since Patsy Cline. This cd is not overdone, but happens to be truly country which most country fans of today fail to recognize. Country songs today are pop and not close to being country.