eased into a quasi-retirement in the 21st century, recording rarely after 2002's -- seven years later, she released the fine covers album -- and making the occasional appearance, but otherwise keeping a low profile. A meeting with changed that. Longtime acquaintances, the pair struck up a professional relationship and brought in singer/songwriter , who was fresh off the Grammy-winning success of 2018's , a record co-produced by . His intent was to have contribute a new song, but she and her longtime collaborators and wrote nearly an album's worth, giving 's 2019 comeback both shape and fire. decided not to bother with either the country mainstream or its Americana counterpart, choosing to reconnect to the flinty, defiant spirit that lay in the heart of 's classic records of the '70s and '80s. Everybody involved is too smart to opt for a straight revival of a past era. Instead, evokes the past in how it relies on strong, burnished songs which cannily play on Western archetypes and 's personal history. On the closing "Bring My Flowers Now," the only song co-written by , she musters something close to an aural autobiography, but isn't intended as a memoir: it aims for a greater, universal truth. 's voice carries appealing scars accumulated over the years, yet she hasn't lost a whit of her pitch or force. This vocal power puts her squarely at the center of , even when the songs bear 's distinct, careful imprint. may be writing toward 's myth, but she and the Hanseroths don't treat her with kid gloves; they allow her humor, soul, and sensuality to shine forth. also direct toward a few outside covers, including the rousing "Hard Luck" and "The House That Built Me," a & song popularized by , that add texture and deepen the emotional undercurrents flowing through the record. When combined with the / originals, these tunes paint a portrait of a mighty artist who has been through a lot but is fearless about the future. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine