You don't have to listen to this album to know that Cher is just as campy and over-the-top as she's ever been. Just looking at the album cover should tell you plenty: sporting a blonde Cher, reclining on a bed in a satin dress, all the while exuding the sheer illusion that she can still be sexy at 67. That's not all she tries to prove, as "Woman's World" introduces this album in a rush of EDM napalm; Cher's urge to ignite the dancefloor is still present, even if she can't physically keep up with the clubs. Indeed, age can't stop her, so she injects the first half of "Closer to the Truth" (the title non-withstanding, of course), with several disco-ball shattering bangers that all hark back to her "Believe" days in the late-90s. Besides "Woman's World", "Take It Like a Man" reminds us who started the new age of electronic dance music, with it's unabashed auto-tune and ear-shattering chorus. And while "Red" is a redux of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Cher's throaty contralto and superior set of lungs set it apart from her protege. Things change a little with "I Walk Alone", which was co-written by P!nk, and sounds like it. It features Cher's 70s-like gypsy sound with an unrelenting bass that makes Madonna's "Gang Bang" seem calm by comparison. After this, Cher seemingly admits that the party is over, and she finishes "Closer to the Truth" with four adult contemporary ballads: "Sirens", a dead giveaway of Cher's age in both voice and sound, "Favorite Scars", a lighter, more inviting song, "I Hope You Find It", a superb cover of "The Last Song" track by Miley Cyrus, and "Lie to Me", a rather weak end to an otherwise strong set of sounds and moods. Although the third song in, "My Love", is a flat-out dreadful song, "Closer to the Truth" can't help but feel affecting. Maybe it's because of it's sheer ernestness, but it's still amazing that fifty years into her career, Cher can still make records like this. It's true that she'll never again turn out another "Believe", but watching her try is just as entertaining. She's wound up with a hooky and stylish modern pop record, while retaining her roots in rock and folk; no small accomplishment for any artist, but it's not particularly impressive coming from Cher. She's been turning out these records for years, "Closer to the Truth" benefits from her team and her persona just as much as anything she's ever recorded.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Woman’s World 2. Take It Like a Man 3. My Love
4. Dressed to Kill 5. Red 6. Lovers Forever
7. I Walk Alone 8. Sirens 9. Favorite Scars
10. I Hope You Find It 11. Lie to Me
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