Having taken some time to recharge their batteries, Nashville’s Lady Antebellum’s attempt to find a new sound altogether on album number seven. The beautifully-crafted Heart Break leans more heavily towards pop than the band’s previous output, whilst retaining a faint hint of their familiar country twang.
The trio decided the best way to craft another chart-topping album was to work, live and write together. Their devotion to the cause has certainly paid off: Hillary Scott and co. prove themselves to be incredible storytellers on this record. It’s a meditation on romance and heartbreak that draws on their personal experiences, with consistently winning results.
They play to their strengths with the mid-tempo ballads which, sonically, are more in touch with their first two albums. The two post-breakup independence anthems, the title-track and ‘Think About You’, are the only up-tempo numbers. From the socially conscious ‘Famous’, to the sweet soul of ‘Home’ and the touching ‘The Stars’ – written for their children – every song hits home.
Indeed, tracks like the poignant ballad ‘Hurt’ and the swooning ‘Big Love In A Small Town’ will make your heart break a little. You don’t have to be a country fan to love this album: Heart Break speaks to everyone who longs for love. And who doesn’t?