Artist:  Little Big Town
Title:  The Reason Why
Label:  Capitol Records

Country quartet Little Big Town recently released their fourth studio project, The Reason Why, a collection of catchy songs with upbeat rhythms and lyrics that speak mostly to different stages of romance. The band, comprised of members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Philip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook, boasts no single front man but functions more like a revolving door, each of them taking the lead throughout. According to the members, this practice is part of what keeps each of them in a humble state of mind.

The foursome has worked together for 12 years, and all contributed to the songwriting process on this record, along with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Wayne Kirkpatrick and various other contributors (following suit from previous albums). The result? Tender ballads like "Kiss Goodbye" (with its beautifully swelling chorus) and "Rain on a Tin Roof," which both have an elegiac feel as the singers reminisce about lost love. These numbers bring strength to the album by adding a darker contrast to many of the sunnier numbers.

However, four of the 12 tracks on The Reason Why are songs they had no part in composing (including the two previously mentioned). The sheer number of contributors arguably makes for a bit of a muddied vision in Little Big Town's latest, but also highlights their openness to incorporate others in their creative efforts and take a risk by recording someone else's songs.

It's not hard to see the country touch to their music with songs that involve pickup trucks, wildflower fields, an excellent hand-clap riff and a bit of that southern twang. Add some calculated pedal steel and mandolin to that equation and you have a country band, right?  Perhaps. Overall, their sound gravitates more toward a marriage of country and rock with some hints of pop throughout. Best known for their hit singles "Boondocks" (2005) and "Bring it on Home" (2006), along with their tight (but sometimes overdone) four-part harmonies, this group comes as a nicely wrapped package.

The first single from this record, "Little White Church," quickly climbed the charts upon its release and is their highest charted song since 2006. Other notables are Westbrook's driven and innovative "Runaway Train" about a disastrous elopement and "All The Way Down"—a love song with an a capella beginning and a touch of vintage sound. The final and optimistic "Lean Into It" is an appropriate ending to the album with the push to persevere despite life's difficulties.

Overall, these tracks are mostly pleasing to the ear, but often lack the lyrical depth for which many in today's world may be searching. While this music may leave you temporarily feeling good, it offers little in terms of digging deeper.

 
**This review first published on September 7, 2010.