The Dixie Chicks-"Wide Open Spaces" Review

There’s a perfectly good reason why the Dixie Chicks’ major label debut is called “Wide Open Spaces”. The Chicks spent the bulk of the 90s toying with the bluegrass circuit to only a minor success. They had a nice little niche audience, but sisters Martie Seidel and Emily Robison must have decided that it was time to go bigger. So, they hired Natalie Maines to be their lead singer, and after signing with Monument Records, completely revamped their sound, and finally let their songs breathe. Instead of strict bluegrass, the girls build “Wide Open Spaces” on many different sources, such as soft 70s rock and the Chicks’ Americana roots. They take full advantage of their new found freedom and explore the new open pastures that have been laid out for them. Unifying all these different textures is Natalie Maines herself, as her powerful and emotive voice gives each song a compelling center. She doesn’t hog the spotlight –Martie is given several fiddle solos and Emily keeps things moving with her guitar—but it’s hard to deny that the true star here is Natalie. This might cause some friction down the road, but it also appears that Martie and Emily have also realized that she is exactly the right person to propel them to superstardom. That ambition is prevalent on “Wide Open Spaces”, each song is built around Natalie’s voice more than the other girls’, but their camaraderie is still there, which makes this album a very successful one. Notice how they work in pop melodies in “I Can Love You Better” and “You Were Mine”, but without ever sounding like 90s country-pop. Watch how honky-tonk songs like “There’s Your Trouble” and “Let Er’ Rip” can appeal to a country audience as well as a mainstream one. Now, this isn’t country-pop in the style of Shania Twain that was intentionally built on glitz and glamour. Instead, the Dixie Chicks just sharpen their melodies, strengthen their hooks, and blend sweetness with sassiness to create one of the best country releases of the 90s. It sure does hit a sweet spot, it may not be easy to swallow at first, but it’s very rewarding for anybody willing to spend time with it. Best of all, these sturdy and melodically sound tracks go by in a breezy 43 minutes, making this album well worth a listen. You completely forget that this is a debut, and only the Dixie Chicks could have made a country album so widely accessible the first time out.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. I Can Love You Better           2. Wide Open Spaces      3. Loving Arms

4. There’s Your Trouble            5. You Were Mine            6. Never Say Die

7. Tonight the Heartache’s On Me 8. Let Er' Rip                             

9. Once You’ve Loved Somebody  10. I’ll Take Care of You

11. Am I the Only One (Who’s Ever Felt this Way?)                 

12. Give It Up or Let Me Go