For her fourth long-player,
If You Can't Say Anything Nice
, singer/songwriter
Leslie Mendelson
worked again with longtime co-writer
Steve McEwan
, who also produced alongside bassist/engineer
Lorenzo Wolff
. As the reunion may suggest, the album remains in
Mendelson
's wheelhouse, evoking classic '70s songwriter influences in the vein of
Carole King
and
Carly Simon
. (In the period between albums, she released a duet with
Jackson Browne
for the documentary film 5B.) However, the subject matter here is of its own time, with topics ranging from tragic prescription-drug addiction to media overexposure and anxiety in general, quite in tune with the day's economic and political climate. She begins with "Lay It All on Me," a dramatic, choral overture of sorts that was reportedly inspired by 1970's
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
. The song's emphatic piano-and-drums intro underscores lyrics compatible with the album's title, such as opening words "I don't want to show you out/Only want to let you in/I don't want to get you down/I just want to see you win." From there,
pivots between earnest acoustic-guitar folk ("Would You Give Up Your Gun"), lyrical piano balladry ("My Dark Peace"), and declarative blues-rock ("If You Can't Say Anything Nice"). The latter is among a few songs with more substantial, full-band arrangements including backing singers, such as on "All Come Together," an uplifting entry with a gospel bent. She gets into heavier topics on tracks like "Medication" and the spare, haunting "Flesh & Bone," but the album's sequencing and consistently hummable melodies make it all go down easy and seem even briefer than its 35 minutes. A strong addition to
's catalog with both timely and timeless qualities,
doesn't try to push boundaries but instead offers consistently tuneful, efficient songs with substance. ~ Marcy Donelson