Steve Wariner - Steal Another Day

So who needs a record deal? In the two years since he left Capitol Records, Steve Wariner has focused on songwriting and toying with his new 2,000 square-foot, at-home studio. He began calling on a few musician friends to play some of the songs he had tucked away, and as time went on, it was obvious that the material that was being cut (and that Wariner was delighting in producing) would add up to a nice album project. Steal Another Day, on Wariner’s own startup Selectone Records label, is just that album. Containing a whopping 16 songs, Steal Another Day features eleven originals and five re-recordings of early hits.

The few misses seem to come when Wariner ventures outside his “typical” sound. (If it ain’t broke...) The Latin feel of “Kiss Me Anyway” is nice, but it just sounds a little strange to hear Steve Wariner singing against that kind of backdrop. “Carmelita” doesn’t fare much better, even with Lee Roy Parnell and fiddle whiz Aubrey Haynie lending their talents to the piece. “Ride This Rocket” has a bluegrass-type sound to it, and again, just doesn’t seem to cut it.

But get Wariner in his groove, and he’s a monster. “This Christmas Prayer,” which drew a smattering of radio airplay around Christmas (and which Wariner performed brilliantly on the Grand Ole Opry a couple of times) is typical Wariner - heartfelt sentiment with a timeless message. Keep the Kleenex handy for “Snowfall On The Sand,” the official first single release. While maybe a little unrealistic, the message is also one of hope, and it tugs on the heartstrings - again, classic (and good) Wariner. “Welcome To This World” recounts some of Wariner’s feelings after 9/11, and he says it’s the first song he wrote after the tragic events of that day. Wariner’s hero, the late Chet Atkins, is remembered both in verse and in guitar-playing style in the touching “In My Heart Forever (For Chet).” “There Will Come A Day (Holly’s Song)” was written for Wariner’s stepdaughter, Holly, who has been diabetic since she was eight years old. The song has been given to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for use for promotional and fund-raising purposes.

Then come the remakes of the Wariner classics “Where Did I Go Wrong,” “The Weekend,” “You Can Dream Of Me,” “Some Fools Never Learn” and “Small Town Girl.” While the songs have definitely been “updated” and sound fresh and new, thankfully Wariner doesn’t stray far from the original treatments of the songs. It’s a nice look back at some solid material that newer country music fans may not be familiar with.

While Steal Another Day showcases what one of Nashville’s most revered triple-threat (singer, songwriter, musician) artists can do when he adds a fourth hat - that of producer. Even the album manufacturing itself is impressive - a three-fold package that includes a 12-page booklet explaining the inspiration for all the songs. No, you won’t hear many of these songs on the radio, but herein lies the beauty of Steal Another Day. It’s simply one of the most talented true “artists” of our time doing things his way, with some pretty impressive results.

Lisa Berg

Bering Strait - Bering Strait

So now comes the album that has been awaited by many. This is the band that was formed by putting together 6 music students in a small town in Russia. Their journey seems to be a million miles. Many miles away from the Russian community where they were raised, to the “streets of gold” that paves a place called Music Row in Nashville. However, those streets are sometimes brutal, and these six musicians have learned that the hard way. As recent as three years ago, it was a possibility that this band might not hold together. Due to the revolving door that has become the cornerstone of many record labels, this talented group found themselves in a land far away with little in their pockets, but dreams of what could be. Only a twist of fate has brought them out of a world of uncertainty.

Tim DuBois originally signed this band when he was head of Arista records. When DuBois left Arista to join a new label with Gaylord Entertainment, the band was to go as well. That all fell through, but in early 2002 DuBois with music row veteran Tony Brown, brought the group to their new label, Universal South. Now after many travels, this band brings us their debut effort…and no they don’t sound like their Russian.

The group is led by some fantastic pipes by lead vocalist Natasha Borzilova. Her sound is unique to any other female artist right now. Her voice is reminiscent of Gail Davies and Kathie Baillie of Baillie and The Boys fame. She is joined by talented guitarist and banjo enthusiast Ilya Toshinsky, the band’s first member. Alexander “Sasha” Ostrovsky plays some slick steel guitar. Alexander Arzamastev keeps the tempo on drums. Sergei “Spooky” Olkhovsky plucks out the notes on bass, and Lydia Salnikova adds backup vocals while playing keyboards.

The music is a mix of modern pop and country. It is very contemporary sounding, while sprinkling fiddles, banjos and steel guitars in nicely for a harmonic blend. Natasha’s vocals are put in the forefront throughout, but never is her voice as dominant as it is on “I’m Not Missing You”, which with its haunting melody will leave you with chills. The band does a great job on the Gail Davies 1984 hit “Jagged Edge Of A Broken Heart”, which suits well as Natasha’s voice remarkably resembles Davies’. The rest of the material here is not great but is decent. When this band really shines is on the instrumental “Bearing Straight”. Here these six members show just how talented a group of musicians they are.

Producer Brent Maher does not overproduce and brings the best of the band out onto disc. Since it is not overproduced, most of the album has a simple feel like these six being in a room, just playing music. The story of this group has been made into a documentary which will be released to some major cities in late February. Plus, CMT has recently negotiated the exclusive broadcast rights and will air “The Ballad Of Bering Strait” in late April. After several trips over the same ocean and many miles logged up and down the jagged steps of music row, Bering Strait has finally arrived. Russian country meets music row, and it has nice sound to it.

Dale Jones

Terri Clark - Pain To Kill

About two years ago, Terri Clark went about the business of finding herself, musically. She turned out one of the best albums of 2001 called “Fearless”. While it won Terri critical acclaim, it did not win her any chart success. So, when it was time for her to do album #5 for the folks at Mercury, she went back to the man who helped start her career, Keith Stegall. They also went about gathering the services of Byron Gallimore of Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina fame. The result is an album that is sort of retro Terri. This is a blast from the past similar to her first album in 1995. With Gallimore at the control board, it is also more radio friendly.

While this album lacks the depth and to some extent, the passion of “Fearless”, this new shot of Terri Clark is a pleasant experience to the ears. Even though this album is more commercial sounding, it is 100% Terri Clark. Most of the songs have that rough edge to them, but are decidedly country. Most of the fare here is uptempo, with a stop for a ballad or two along the way. The better cuts on the album include the 2nd single called “Three Mississippi”. The album’s title cut is an all-out expression of country rock. “Pain To Kill” finds Terri looking for the nightlife over the weekend to get over the heartbreak of the week. “Better Than You” provides one of this album’s better moments. In this tune, Terri keeps her new beau in check during the first date by letting him know “…this heart’s been broke by better than you”.

Terri also shows a soft side with “The One You Love”. This song wraps up all the helpless emotions one feels when they can’t help the one they love. This is a powerful song that takes just over 3 minutes to tear at your heart. With “God And Me”, a tune she co-wrote, we get a look into the spiritual side of Terri Clark. Terri’s vocals are strong throughout; although there is a few times that she seems to try to oversing, instead of just letting it flow. She is joined vocally by some of the best, including John Wesley Ryles, Leslie Satcher, and a guest appearance by Vince Gill. While this is not as good as her last two offerings, it is still another solid performance by one of country music’s least appreciated stars.

Dale Jones