Published on Oct 11, 1999
Much of my experience with country-pop has been through the
radio and artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter. (She’s not country, I
know, but I tend to think of Shawn Colvin also when I think of this
musical genre.) The music easily walks both sides of the musical
fence without strongly committing to either, ending up with a
rather interesting blend.
Kim Richey is an artist who could easily be the next Mary Chapin
Carpenter in terms of popularity in this genre, and could easily
fit onto adult-contemporary radio with her Colvin-like vocal
deliveries. Her third album
Glimmer is proof of this, and is an album that pleases from
beginning to end.
Richey has been described as “country” by other journalists and
her own record label, but I’ll go on the record to dispute this. If
anything, Richey’s musical attack is rooted deeper in the folk
veins than anything else. Just listen to a track like “Hello Old
Friend” and hear the way the story unfolds, and you’ll understand.
Harry Chapin and John Denver used to use their songs in similar
manners, and Richey does bring back happy memories of both these
artists in comparison.
But there’s enough of a pop sensibility in her music to make
sure that even staunch country haters will not hesitate in taking a
closer listen to Richey’s music. “The Way It Never Was” is a
perfect example of this, and is my hands-down pick for a future hit
single. Of all the tracks on
Glimmer, this is the one I found myself constantly going
back to.
Other tracks like “Other Side Of Town,” “Good At Secrets” and
“So It Goes,” all tap into this vein as well, proving that Richey
is a prime candidate for AOR radio breakthrough – and I hope that
the powers that be give her a shot.
Glimmer is that strong of an album, and Richey that talented
of an artist, that I think she could easily pull it off.
The true test of this album, however, wouldn’t come in the halls
of the Pierce Memorial Archives. Instead, it would come on the home
stereo system of my mother, who loves all sorts of music, and is
into artists like Carpenter and Kathy Mattea. (Fact: The woman owns
a CD player that holds somewhere around 110 discs.) What surprised
me, however, was that she really didn’t start taking notice of this
album until it hit tracks like “Didn’t I” and “Strength In You”.
The verdict: Positive, though I was surprised it took nearly the
whole album for her to stand up and take notice.
Glimmer is an album that, if there is any justice in the
world, will be the one that makes Richey a star. Even if it
doesn’t, she can hold her head up and know that she created an
album that sets the worlds of country, pop and AOR music, on their
respective ears.