Forgotten album Friday #16 - Iris deMent The Way I should

I am note sure how familiar you will be with Iris DeMent and I think her albums might be a wee bit of an acquired taste, no matter she is an excellent songwriter and performer who got great acclaim for her first two albums Infamous Angel and the Grammy nominated My Life, both of which are pretty firmly in the Country end of Americana.

Both of those albums I would highly recommend.

For her third album Iris went for a bigger sound and moved slightly away from her focus on personal relationships and living in a small town and its values to look outwards dealing with big issues like corporate greed, Vietnam, child abuse and poverty. The album is much bigger in its sound as well with an almost rock feel and pace to the album at times.

The key track on this album is without doubt the superb Wasteland of The Free which is a protest  song up there with the very best of them where Iris sears through her damming indictment of businessmen, politicians and the negative influences on youth. John Jennings who you may know through his work with mary Chapin Carpenter is on outstanding form omn this track. Another cracker is the title track which features nice guitar work from Mark Knopfler.

Elsewhere Iris does not lose her touch of connecting with simple emotional songs and her quiet personal faith on songs like When My Morning Comes Around and I'll Take My Sorrow Straight.

A highly recommended lp.

Key tracks:

When My Morning Comes Around

Theres a Wall In Washington

Wasteland of the Free

The Way I Should

Walkin Home