That Nashville SoundBites- Chris Sligh- The Anatomy of Broken

That Nashville Sound receives many different CD releases throughout the year from indie, bluegrass and artists just off the mainstream radar- or smaller projects like EPs- that we’re doing short mini CD reviews on. We call them That Nashville SoundBITES- it’s a feature that will allow us to give some props to some albums and artists that deserve a spotlight on their work.

Release Date: September 2010

Music Label: Word

The Skinny: The American Idol alum and songwriter of Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye” releases a brand new album of grandly orchestrated Christian pop with a hint of country influence on his second major-label album. Chris Sligh showed an affection for grand pop statements on 2008's Running Back to You. They continue in big dramatic fashion on The Anatomy of Broken. Few songs here finish without a sweep of strings or a leap into falsetto- a clear reminder of why Flatts handpicked his song two years ago. But Chris has grown a bit more introspective and personal and that's where The Anatomy of Broken shines. It can be a tad syrupy at times, but perhaps that can be personal beliefs and/or tastes clouding this reviewers vision.

Sounds Like: Richard Marx

Standout Tracks: "Only You Can Save", "Broken (Beautiful)", "Our Love"

The Verdict: Three stars out of five