New album proves inspirational,
but fails to move with the times
By
Jenny Jones
Summer Reporter
On her first album in five years, Mary Chapin
Carpenter conveys an "I've been there, I've done that, now what?"
message. Unfortunately, Carpenter fails to truly move with the times.
It is, however, refreshing to see a country artist sticking to her
original style.
"Time Sex Love" offers a more inspirational mix
than Carpenter's previous albums, which were centered around remorse
and yearning.
One song that compliments this theme is "Simple
Life." Carpenter becomes an adviser on life when she tells listeners
to forget what everyone else says and to just remember "the simple
life gets complicated."
Carpenter then takes on an Ann Murray persona
by including "King of Love," a religious style song, on the album.
Here she becomes a messenger for the "King of Love" by describing
what "He" wants, knows and does.
Love is definitely a major topic for "Time Sex
Love," however; it's not the glorious love that one may expect. During
"In the Name of Love" Carpenter pronounces she would do anything for
love, but she then decides love isn't what she wants, it's the amenities
that she's really after. Carpenter reveals all through the album that
she's over loving, now she's looking for someone to hold on to.
The album's last documented song, "Late for Your
Life," is a great ending to Carpenter's journey back into country
music. "Late for Your Life" describes all the dreams and goals one
may have, but tends to put them off for another day. Sticking with
the themes of inspiration and moving on, the song's lesson is to quit
procrastinating and live life. Carpenter obviously decided to take
her own advice here by creating this album after such a lengthy break.
Carpenter is definitely not working to fit into
the new-aged country genre with "Time Sex Love." She keeps a calm,
meditation-like mood throughout the album, which if you are not a
fan of Carpenters may seem more like a lullaby.
2 stars
Columbia Records
