Dianna Corcoran ‘In America’ - Album Review

After doing my customary research on this album so as to not seem like an idiot, it appears Australian country music, firstly has a scene which extends beyond Keith Urban. Perhaps with my pre-occupation with the US and ever-growing UK scene, I have never thought to look down under. This is a shame given my fondness for female soloists, which among other reasons is primarily due to the belief they have producing more varied and emotionally piercing song-writing.

Dianna Corcoran is a reasonably big deal in Oz with a healthy collection of Australian country music awards, (CMAA and Australian independent country awards), with three album releases already under her belt in her native Australia, Dianna has now branched out for a full American release in the US, helped with backing from Krian Label group. The album is aptly titled ‘In America’.

‘In America’ has been sitting in my iTunes for a little while now and in all fairness should probably have written this review a little earlier then I have done. However on the bright side I have been able to give this album a fair few plays.

Having not heard any of Dianna”s music previously it’s nice to go into it with an open mind. The opening track and also her lead single ‘God Did Good’ was a good place to start. Released back in August last year, ‘God Did Good’ reached the number one spot on Taste Of Country’s video countdown. The opening few seconds with the electric guitar and drums prominent and acoustic guitar in the background, it was undeniably on the pop/country side of things; for want of a stylistic comparison, Kelsea Ballerini was the name that immediately came to mind. GDG (as I’ll now refer to it) tells the simple yet cheerful story of a girl gushing over a guy and basically attributing to the man upstairs, God. Personally I think whoever this guy’s parents are probably deserve some credit too, but there you go.

‘Everything about you turns me on, when you shake your hips you rattle my bones, said a little prayer, knocked on wood, when God made you, God did good… from your skin-tight shirt to the holes in your jeans you raise my heart like I’m sixteen,’ The opening lines giving the impression of a lady who’s acting like whoever it is is her first crush. Snapping into the chorus fairly quickly it’s clear it’s been written with an infectious and memorable hook in mind. ‘God did good when he put you together, right from your head down to your toes, working overtime couldn’t do any better, the whole wide world and heaven knows, I’ve been blessed with more than I should.’ The chorus is simple, but catchy and overall has a nice melody. It’s easy to see why it was the lead single, radio friendly and cheery, you’re hardly going to be depressed listening to this on a Monday morning even before your first coffee. Vocally Dianna’s voice is high-pitched without feeling screechy and clearly she’s very much comfortable and control of her vocals. She hits the higher notes with relative ease and as I’ve been listening to the album it was a recurring theme.

If ‘God Did Good’ was reminiscing over a seemingly perfect guy, it’s easy to forget that if it wasn’t for us guys screwing things up on a regular basis and doing all that womanising, drinking and cheating etc, country musicians would have a lot less to write about. ‘Thank You For Cheating On Me’ is such a song. Dealing with ‘Lying, crying and constant denying… I turned into a broken-hearted stallion, I couldn’t wait until the day you said you were bailin”. However this isn’t a Miranda Lambert hell hath no fury like a women scorned cheating song, it’s more of a I’ve found a better guy then this waste of space and I’m pretty darn happy about it kinda cheating song from Dianna. At only 2.49 minutes in length it’s short and snappy, but again catchy, and right at the end she indulges in some vocal gymnastics, the pitch again demonstrating why she originally had an interesting career yodeling.

‘Blame Carolina’ takes the volume and production down a little and allows Dianna’s vocals to be a little more prominent. Running with the theme of an unexpected love, and reminiscing some time later over that place they used to go, hence why she ‘Blame Carolina for those July nights, you hand in mine… I didn’t know I needed to find ya.’

Lyrically one of the best tracks from the album is that of ‘Therapy’. Dianna in this case muses that everyone is addicted to something, ‘One man’s whiskey is another man’s smoke… the shrinks are all out there making a killing’. Dianna herself is addicted to love. Again it’s catchy but I wouldn’t say it stands out particularly.

If the first few songs perhaps seem a little poppy, the next two tracks ‘When These Wheels Hit Tennessee’ and in particular ‘Not Ready To Lose’ are more country. A duet with Gary Burr, drawing away from the production and sticking to a largely acoustic setting, Gary and Dianna’s voice complement each other beautifully, and for me easily one of the best songs on the album. I guess I’m a sucker for a slow love song. ‘I could wave a white flag and surrender I could give up and say that I’m through and in my moments of weakness is something I’m tempted to do… but I’m not ready to lose.‘ Moving away from the playful almost idyllic version of love in the previous songs, ‘Not Ready To Lose’ provides a dose of realism. Often relationships are hard to maintain and only the strongest kind of love prevails if you have willpower and commitment. Although Dianna says the whole album is based on real life experiences, this one in particularly struck a nerve, which is what the better songs do. ‘When heartbreak is knocking at your door, you wonder what a prayer is for’ is perhaps the most poignant line in the song.

‘Hold On Lover’ sounds vaguely similar to Jewel, as much like her Dianna’s vocals carry the mid to high notes flawlessly, and again with backing vocals from an unlisted male vocalist, it adds depth to the arrangements. The chorus is perhaps drawn out but again ‘Hold on lover, don’t take another until you take me… you don’t have to run for cover when lightning strikes.’

‘Other Side Of Letting Go’ again is another song which runs with the darker aspects of love. Leading more uniquely given the context of the album with the piano, regret is a key theme here, set seemingly in the aftermath of an argument. ‘Why do I say things that I don’t mean; the heat of the moment always get to me; and I’m pushing you away over something over something that won’t matter if you’re gone. So come back baby… I was wrong… come back baby… I promise you don’t want to know the wrong side of letting go.’ The story of the argument and subsequent morning regret. Again although one of the sadder songs, as a listener it feels more real, perhaps not the type you will hear on the radio. ‘Other Side Of Letting Go’ gives me the impression of the type of song to come alive in live performance especially considering the vocal talent of Dianna.

‘Sugar’ is just a really fun song, and performed with a flirty sass. It almost feels like it’s on the wrong album, perhaps is because it’s about a waitress falling for a customer and deviates from the usual narrative. Cue numerous potential meanings for sugar – all I know is that apparently she’s ‘sweeter then sweet tea’.

Much like the football cliche, it’s an album of two halves. The first is a relatively playful, catchy country pop, radio friendly and very much appeals, primarily at least to the female market. But it’s in the second half of ‘In America’ where the lyrical depth matches her flawless vocals, and demonstrates why she is so well thought of in her homeland and has won awards. ‘Other Side Of Letting go’ and ‘Not Ready To Lose’ stand out for me personally, and fans of a more ‘country’ theme and sound would agree.

Ultimately ‘In America’ won’t appeal to everyone, I certainly imagine fans of Merle, Willie et al would find it a little too commercial sounding in places, however fans of Jewel, Maddie and Tae and Kelsea Ballerini would probably enjoy this. For myself it was a good listen, as Dianna is an excellent vocalist, although from the point of view of a listener it depends on how partial you are to a reasonably high pitched vocal. My respect for Dianna grew as the album went on; ‘In America’ as an album is a grower as opposed to one that makes you go instantly go ‘wow’, however the growers are usually the ones that stand the test of the time.

Dianna Corcoran is a name I feel may become more familiar to this side of the world in the coming months. The album ‘In America’ is out now, and is her fourth record but first global release.

To anyone reading this, give it a go.

Originally posted here.