Sara Evans - Restless

Sara Evans’s 2000 effort, the platinum-selling Born to Fly, put her in the front ranks of the most promising of modern country singer-songwriters. As a woman with a strong traditional background, she found a way to marry contemporary sounds and sensibilities with her bedrock country and bluegrass history, and, with the help of producer Paul Worley, delivered a complete, believable, and very fetching record. But Restless sounds as if she and Worley just went in and cut a passel of songs. A lot of them carry a message of hope, of making "something magic out of something frightening," as she sings in "Rockin' Horse," one of five tracks she co-wrote. But most of them just sound as if she had getting on radio more in mind than anything else. It’s hard to tell if the album doesn't know what it wants to be, or if it’s Evans who’s confused. Worley over-produced the majority of it with unnecessary layers and busy arrangements, and the repertoire ranges all over the place, from an awful attempt at swaggering R&B ("Big Cry") to the hay-bale-and-pickup milieu of "Suds in the Bucket." While the languid and affecting "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" sticks in the memory and the sensual "Otis Redding" gets the hormones charged, too many of the songs just roll by. Evans remains a wonder of a singer, however, whether she’s projecting her clearer pop voice or calling on the nasality of her Missouri barn-dance-and-bluegrass training, something in too short supply on this uneven effort. --Alanna Nash Amazon.com

Beautiful Voice, Ordinary Material

The 2003 release from former Missouri farm girl Sara Evans contiunes her pop/country departure from her first two records like her most recent, Born To Fly. This CD features a theme of maturing, spreading your wings, especially on cuts like "Suds in the Bucket" and "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus." I like "Suds" and the other hit, "Perfect," but I love "Niagara," a fun, contemporary song typical of Sara's new material. Don't expect "Crying Game" or "Three Chords" from her earlier efforts, but Sara sounds like she know what she's doing.

I wish Sara would stretch her voice and let it fly, so to speak. Also, I'm not in love with the direction this CD's taking, but her beautiful, eloquent voice overcomes sometimes pedestrian material. Sara walks the tightrope between country tradition and mainstream accessibility, but I wouldn't call this a sellout. I believe an artist can be successful and maintain integrity;check out Lee Ann Womack. She's a complete throwback and unapolegetic about it. I love Sara's voice; she only needs the right material to express her gift properly. Recommended to any fan of new country. January 14, 2008

A Different Sound

Sara takes a chance with "Restless". This is more of a pop album than a country one. However, the results are fantastic. Some of the hits on this album are "Rockin' Horse", "Perfect" "Restless", "Need To Be Next To You", "To Be Happy" and the chart-topper "Suds In The Bucket". It also includes ballads such as "Big Cry" and "I Give In". Every song has a catchy rhythm and great energy. I would recommend this cd even though it doesn't sound like country, but because it shows Sara's superb vocal range and talent. It proves that Sara can sing any kind of song; either country or pop. I would recommend this cd to anybody. Great job Sara! November 20, 2007

Pick Up

Sara picked up the pace in her 4th album to good effect. This is the album of hers that I first heard and that got me interested in her. Sara recovered energy and tempo in this album in comparison wiht "Born to Fly." There are a number of good songs that serve as the pillars of this album, with very presentable songs in between. A strong 4 stars. Some worthy songs:

Rocking Horse
Back Seat of a Greyhound Bus - giving birth while on a bus trip
Niagra Falls - good imagery in this one, about love being as unstopable as a waterfall

Perfect - very catchy tune and lyrics

To Be Happy - stirring

Otis Reading - has a nice, homey feel to it. Sweetness of lover coming over

Feel it Coming On - great energy

Suds in the Bucket - excellent spirit and good story about girl who grows up real fast one day and leaves parents shocked
July 2, 2007

SARA'S SMOOTH, SULTRY, AND SEXY VOICE!!!!!!

Great CD!!!! All the tracks are awesome!!! Way to go Sara!!!! February 24, 2007

Awesome Album!

This is hands down Sara Evans's best album EVER!!! It's such a great blend of country and pop (even with some R&B and jazz) and it's easy for everybody to find a song they like on it. Here's my track by track review of it:

1. Rockin' Horse- Sara sings about a childhood experience and the life lesson she gains from it. It's a cute, upbeat song, but not one of the best on this album. It would have been great for someone else though (4/5)

2. Backseat Of A Greyhound Bus- This is probably the deepest song on the entire album. It's about a girl who gets pregnant before marriage, and gets kicked out of her hometown. Sara injects so much emotion into it and makes it a great song to listen to (5/5)

3. Restless- This is a song that most single people could be able to relate to. It's about feeling out of place in the world and not being able to find "the one." I think this is one of the easiest songs to relate to on this album (5/5)

4. Niagara- This is my favorite song on the album. It's an amazing, well-written ballad and you can just feel Sara's emotions when she sings it. It definitely is a contender for one of the best songs Sara has ever recorded (5/5)

5. Perfect- Very radio-friendly, upbeat rocker. I can definitely see why it was sent to radio. She sounds kind of quirky and cute when she sings it, and you can't help but sing along with her (5/5)

6. Need To Be Next To You- Very beautiful ballad. You can definitely tell how much Sara loved her soon-to-be-ex-husband at the time this song was recorded. This would make a very good wedding song actually (5/5)

7. To Be Happy- Probably the worst song on the album. Now don't get me wrong, it's a cute, upbeat song, and it definitely sticks to you, but it just doesn't size up to any of the other songs on this album (3/5)

8. Tonight- Beautiful, sexy song. This is another good indicator about how she felt about Craig before the whole ordeal happened, and it would also be a good wedding song (5/5)

9. Otis Redding- This song is very...unique. And that's why I love it. The song sort of starts out very mellow, kind of like something you would hear at a coffee shop, but then Sara sings her heart out on the chorus. Just a great song (5/5)

10. Feel It Comin' On- Sara could probably go up to Craig and sing this song to him right now. It's such a sassy love-gone-bad song, and it's a great one too (4.5/5)

11. I Give In- This is another great song that shows how Sara felt about Craig, and it's ANOTHER great wedding song. Most young couples will be able to relate to this song (5/5)

12. Big Cry- The most soulful song on this album. The horns accent Sara's stunning, passionate vocals amazingly, and she just sounds down-right great on it (5/5)

13. Suds In The Bucket- The fun, country tune on the album. You can definitely see why she sent it to radio, and the video is very fun to watch too! (5/5)

OVERALL GRADE: 5/5 February 5, 2007

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