Review Summary: An interesting debut in how uninteresting it is.
Before Shania Twain ventured into her unforgettable version of country pop, she made a relatively insignificant splash in the country pond with her ordinary debut. Shania’s debut did not highlight an extraordinary artist yet, or any semblance of unique personality in terms of musical style or songwriting. Her producers at the time were content to regurgitate mainstream radio country, music that sat alongside what was current rather than taking a leap of faith. Sure, Shania made a tiny bit of success, and perhaps this was a decent album when it came out, but the music has barely survived the test of time. The album is notable simply because it was Shania’s debut, but in terms of debut albums, it’s not the strongest effort.
Despite Shania’s inability to stand out from the crowd in her debut, there is a certain charm that emanates from the music. It is a warm, feel-good time portal to the 90s (I love every sound from that corny keyboard). Shania’s timeless voice is a pleasure to listen to as well. Shania’s presence in this album is enough to make the music stand out, and really, is the entire reason to listen to this - it’s not a bad reason, but it’s the only reason. Star power completely put aside though, it’s an average album at best.
The underlying issue with this album is its lack of imagination, resulting in unmemorable tracks. Instrumentally it’s quite basic, the strummed guitars are simplistic enough to mostly just serve as accompaniment for beats - background work. Aside from that, there’s your typical country guitar flairs from the electric, and cheesy/rinky-dinky synth pads from the keyboard - that’s the extent of the instrumental usage. It’s all incredibly basic and safe, sounding like a grocery store bought country musician’s starter kit. I’d like to say I’m exaggerating, but a quick listen of any track will reveal a faceless artist. It works, it’s decently pleasant stuff, but greatness is beyond its reach.
In conclusion, this is an interesting relic of the past, and should probably remain a relic. If you’re in the market for an extremely light, generic country album helmed by the classic Shania Twain, enjoy. I’ll be sticking with her later albums which not only have more personality, but also gusto. There aren’t many songs in here to boogey to, or swing dance to in a barnyard party, only a few catchier tracks. The rest almost seems like filler, and I’m dubious about an intention to create a plain album. This album has its time in history, but perhaps it should remain in the past.
