Formerly known (until very recently) as The Dixie Chicks, this country-pop trio have never been afraid to get political, as their 2003 denunciation of the Iraq War – a move which led to blacklisting and boycotts – proved.
Their eighth album, however, minesTthe Chicks' personal lives like never before. Inspired by Natalie Maines' acrimonious divorce from actor Adrian Pasdar, songs like the title track, Tights on My Boat and Sleep at Night ("So caught up in your story, you don't care what you're ruining") leave no room for misinterpretation.
Even so, amid the heartache and savage takedowns there is a sense of empowerment and resilience, as the resolute For Her and the gently tenacious rollick of Julianna, Calm Down reveal. They also manage to shoehorn a potshot at modern America in, as heard on the sombre thump of March March (“Print yourself a weapon and take it to the gun range”).
Enlisting Jack Antonoff on production may divide fans; he brings a poppier slant to The Chicks' sound, making tracks such as Texas Man sound like a Taylor Swift B-side and injecting a contemporary groove into songs that arguably diminishes their emotional heft.
In that respect, it’s the album’s final few songs – the beautifully plaintive Young Man, the harmony-filled Hope It’s Something Good and the soft country waltz of Set Me Free – that pack the most satisfying punches.
