Thursday, October 8, 2009

CD Reviews- Rachel Proctor- What Didn’t Kill Me

The Background:
For those not familiar with Proctor, before signing to a record deal, she co-wrote Martina McBride's 2002 single "Where Would You Be". By 2003, Proctor had signed to BNA Records, releasing her debut single "Days Like This" that year. This song, which peaked at #24 on the country charts, was the first of four singles from her 2004 debut album Where I Belong. Proctor's only album for the label, it also produced her highest-charting single in the #18 "Me and Emily". Although she has not charted a single since 2004, she has written charted singles for Jessica Simpson (“Come On Over”) and Jesse Lee (“It’s A Girl Thing”). This October marks the return of this young singer/songwriter with a new indie release, What Didn’t Kill Me.

The Review:
How Rachel Proctor hasn’t hit it big is a puzzle. The beautiful blonde released a generally critically well-received album earlier this decade and has proven to have some serious songwriting chops with mid-level hits by herself and songs covered by bigger artists. On What Didn’t Kill Me, Proctor does a great job striking an equilibrium between fast propulsive numbers and those introspective ballads that marked her radio success the first go-around. Her appearance belies her music. She sounds older and wiser, singing stories about life's journey with a “kick butt and take names” attitude. Says Proctor, “This album is a collection of songs from the last 5 years of my life. There have been a lot of ups and downs & loves and losses that have made me grow both as singer and as a songwriter. I've always believed in writing from the heart about my own life experiences…” Each of the 11 songs of the album are written or co-written by Proctor and that life experience from the last years is poured out best on the first and title track of the album. She uses the loss of her major label record deal and her scrape for musical relevance as inspiration on a great autobiographical song about getting stronger from the stuff that knocks you down. She gets very sensual on “Your Hands On Me” and the album has great production elements like the very cool electric guitar bridge on “Why Wait.” Her voice is a versatile alto and a powerful instrument. She displays emotional depth matching that high quality songwriting. The West Virginia native’s vocals rival that of any of her contemporaries with all the sincerity and emotion to convey the meaning of these songs and really pull the listener in. Imagine a Carrie Underwood album written, produced and sung by Carrie Underwood with all the personal connections to each and every track. That is what you can expect on Proctor’s What Didn’t Kill Me album. Overall, it’s a fantastic CD that belongs in your collection for sure.

Sounds Like:
Rebecca Lynn Howard’s Songwriting with Carrie Underwood’s Voice

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
What Didn’t Kill Me
What Goodbye Looks Like
That’s A Lie
Your Hands On Me

The Verdict:
Four Stars Out Of Five

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