Better Day

Easiness of Dolly Parton’s life

For so many years now, Dolly Parton, a country-scene star, has been known as a symbol of optimism and creative liberty. The singer is fully independent regarding the questions of whom with, how, where and when to make her studio albums, leaving the listeners an easy and pleasant task to wait for them and know for sure they are not going to be a failure. Dolly, who effortlessly stepped into her seventies, carries on releasing her records as regularly and confidently as she did when she was listened to by other generations. In fact, there were periods in her career when the studio activity was much poorer. Take, for example, the eighties. The simple explanation to that was the artist was seriously concerned with the reaction from the public as she tried to adjust her music to the ever-changing tastes of the audience. Today, Dolly Parton is hardly likely to keep focus on the contemporary tendencies, but she would rather deliver another lot of good old country, like her fresh album Better Day, issued in summer 2011.

Better Day sends all grief away

Despite the supreme quality of arranging work and recording process, the Better Day album is emanating a strong odor of classic, slightly sloppy, country, the music where rationality and precision have never been the key. Parton’s new CD is one hundred percent compliant with the singer’s inner state. She recorded with one big desire to make those who would listen to it feel better at least for those forty minutes. However, Better Day appears so nice that the effects it produces lasts much longer than the twelve songs here do. Within the first half of the album, Dolly is busy getting out of her head as well as the heads of her listeners bad thought about the end of the world (In The Meantime) and convincing the audience that no one should be worried about their flaws, everyone should be happy with what they are (Country Is As Country Does). All this is performed at a very lively tempo to cheerful harmonica and happy-go-lucky piano. Dolly is so deeply engaged into preaching about enjoying every day of your life that when it comes to doing something more lyrical, she can not fully switch to another tone. So the ballad Holding Everything is not as effective as it should have been.

Powerful philosophy

Better Day’s second half is slightly turned towards gospel. It features such highlights as the title track Better Day with a very tasty tune, and the inspiring, which is conditioned by the name, Shine Like The Sun. There are no standout weak pieces in the twelve-track set on Dolly Parton’s new CD, but one is quickly to notice that some of the songs are too similar to one another, which must be the record’s main fault. Still, when you listen to Better Day, you will hardly remember that this is a work from a sixty-five year old singer who has spent half a century on the stage. No one would dare to say that or even assume that Dilly might be too senile for making new studio albums. Better Day completes its mission on bringing listeners into a good mood. Sure, there will be those who might argue that Parton has no reasons to be in a bad mood since she has everything she ever wanted from life. But what if she succeeded thank to the philosophy that she teaches on her new album?