Album Review – Shanna Jackman – ‘Shanna Jackman EP’

Shanna Jackman

Shanna Jackman EP

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The first thing that struck me when I was listening to Central Massachusetts native and 2010 Cat Country 98.1 WCTK Country Idol Shanna Jackman’s eponymous debut EP was her affection for Martina McBride, a point driven home as much by her vocal delivery as the sonic direction of her music. I was transported back to the Martina era, and the guitar work from “This One’s For The Girls.”

Jackman, formally of the band Not In Kansas and 2011 New England Country Music Organization Most Promising Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year (she also won the NECMO Horizon Award this year), is a country singer stepping into the spotlight for the first time. She funded this project through Kickstarter last March, and recorded the album in Nashville just three months ago. Although Jackman’s music has echoes of McBride, one of her favorite singers whom she opened for this past summer, she’s still able to form her own identity. Rowdy break-up anthem “In My Truck,” the 2013 1490-AM WMRC Local Single of the Year, preceded the album with a rockish mix of electric guitars and drums that allow Jackman to perfectly display the attitude in the lyrics. Normally I would call out the production for being too loud but Jackman’s forceful twang cuts through the noise with ease, proving her skills as a vocalist.

She continues in up-tempo mode on the introspective “Never Gave Up,” a tune about perseverance in which she sings, ‘Guess it was always my luck, never gave up.’ With ribbons of pedal steel and twangy electric guitar, the song exudes a delightful sunny effervescence that Jackman matches with her effortless yet affecting vocal.

“He Does” is the track that brought McBride to mind, and as I was listening, Jackman had me longing for the way country music used to sound as recently as ten years ago. The track, about a woman in the honeymoon stage with her boyfriend, is one of my favorite types of country songs – joyful, upbeat, and perfect to crank up on one of those sunny days when you don’t have a care in the world. Jackman’s unforced twang is the perfect compliment for the subtle electric guitar and drum heavy arrangement.

The album turns more serious on the remaining tracks, and reaches it’s emotional core on “We’ve Got Your Back,” a song written specifically to thank the military and their families for their service. It’s an excellent song and easily the highlight of the EP. Behind a mix of piano and drums Jackman beautifully conveys a timeless message of hope:

We’ve got your back

When you stand on the front lines for us

We’re the ones you can always depend on

We’re the ones you can always trust

We’ve got your back

And for the ones you’ve left here at home

We’re gonna give them our shoulders to lean on

We’re gonna love them like one of our own

We’ve got your back

Jackman is begging for her man’s help in ending their relationship on “Go Ahead,” the record’s most overtly popish moment. Like all of McBride’s most popular relationship ballads (think – “Whatever You Say,” “Where Would You Be,” How Far”), Jackman sings with thrust, transmitting the woman’s emotional pain as she watches the relationship crumble before her eyes. You feel what she’s going through fully, which is a testament to Jackman’s gifts as a singer.

“Road To You,” the project’s strictest ballad, is more then I was expecting. Instead of the typical guy and girl relationship song, Jackman is singing about her bond with her mom, and the journey they’ve shared since she was born. As someone who’s very close to both my parents, I can easily relate to what she’s signing about here. Jackman croons with a gorgeous simplicity here, knowing that she doesn’t have to reach for any high notes to get her point across. The ballad is stunning as a result, and the string section that frames her vocal is the perfect backdrop to bring the emotional lyrics to life.

There isn’t a bad song to be found on Jackman’s EP, although “In My Truck” is the most obvious example of radio fodder and probably the album’s weakest link, despite it succeeding wonderfully on its own merit. I didn’t know what I’d find when I popped the CD into the player, but it was her voice that won me over. Jackman sings the way I wish all females in country music (yes you, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson) sang – without pretense or the need to show off. Power is always a good thing, but only when you know how to properly use it. Jackman has complete control over her instrument and the perfect set of songs to properly show it off. This is her time, and she deserves this chance to step out into the spotlight.

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For more information on Shanna Jackman check out her website, where you can purchase a physical copy of her CD.

You can ‘Like’ her on Facebook and Follow her on Twitter, too.

The album is also for sale on iTunes and cdbaby.

Tags: Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, Shanna Jackman