A Nashville Songbook
is a self-explanatory title for
Mandy Barnett
's 2020 covers album but it isn't quite as straightforward as its name suggests. Working with producer
Fred Mollin
,
Barnett
chose a number of standards she often sings in concert, concentrating on country yet finding space for pop and rock standards that could also conceivably be called children of Music City. The result is a set that is grounded in the '50s and '60s both in terms of repertoire and sound. When
departs from this period, as she does on the opening "I Love a Rainy Night," she molds it to her aesthetic, a move that helps unify the album and gives it a warm, sweet vibe. Sometimes,
skews slightly toward feeling like a cabaret revue, yet
has the chops to keep this lively and engaging even when the songs and sound feel quite familiar. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine