Reba 'All The Women I Am' Humphead

Following in the footsteps of Dolly before her Reba has also dispensed with her surname and ventured into areas beyond singing - becoming, indeed, the woman of the title. But here we are looking at her skills as a singer and that's something that hasn't diminished. She is now competing with a younger set of singers vying for a place at radio. This is mainstream pop country that employs the production of pop with hints of country instrumentation in the mix. The producer is Dan Huff, who is versed in delivering a sound that fits the dictates of country radio. Some of the players include Paul Franklin on steel guitar and dobro, Stuart Duncan on fiddle alongside Charlie Judge on loop programming. Unlike Dolly however Reba is not a writer per se and these songs are from the pens of some of the most successful current crop of writers on Music Row with a couple of older hands in there too like Gary Nicholson, Jon Randall, Neil Thrasher and Kent Blazey. The themes are what relates to her audience in these days - the multi-tasking all faceted woman of the title track. Being dependable and loved (Somebody's Chelsea), the reality of a broken marriage (The Day She Got Divorced) and being a parent (When You Have A Child). Songs that are as relative to her audience as Taylor Swift's are to hers. Reba fans, of all ages, will find much here to love. Those who loved her much earlier traditional country albums may not be as affected but all will admire her vocal prowess and how she has stayed on top of a career that has seen many of her contemporaries fade from view. She has done it by taking control and following her muse.