Big Machine Label Group
Release Date: March 24th 2023
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Carly Pearce – 29: Written in Stone – Live From Music City (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing
- DIAMONDBACK (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- WHAT HE DIDN’T DO (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- EASY GOING (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- DEAR MISS LORETTA (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- NEXT GIRL (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- 29 (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- NEVER WANTED TO BE THAT GIRL (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY) – CARLY PEARCE AND ASHLEY MCBRYDE
- YOUR DRINKIN’, MY PROBLEM (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- LIABILITY (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- MESSY (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- SHOW ME AROUND (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- DAY ONE (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- ALL THE WHISKEY IN THE WORLD (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- MEAN IT THIS TIME (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- TRUTH BE TOLD (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY) – CARLY PEARCE AND MATTHEW WEST
- EVERY LITTLE THING (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- HIDE THE WINE (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY)
- I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY NOW (LIVE FROM MUSIC CITY) – CARLY PEARCE AND LEE BRICE
Carly Pearce has been in and around the country music industry for quite some time, ever since her debut album Every Little Thing way back in 2017. We as a site reviewed both Carly’s EP 29 and her full-length album 29: Written In Stone, and while both these albums were unveiled to critical and commercial acclaim and success, sometimes I still find as though Carly is still ‘up-and-coming’, considering all of the current and popular female country artists that are charting radio right now (case in point- Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Kasey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Ashley McBryde, Ingrid Andress, RaeLynn, Hailey Whitters, Cassadee Pope and Lindsay Ell…to name a few). Nevertheless, Carly’s music has been impacting people around the world since the late 2010s, and now in 2023, upon the heels of her 2021 chart-topping country album 29: Written In Stone, there’s a new music offering of sorts- 29: Written In Stone – Live From Music City, released earlier on during 2023, which is actually a like-for-like live recording of Carly’s most recent studio album, track for track, alongside her big charting singles like ‘Every Little Thing’, ‘Hide the Wine’ and ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’, as well as sleeper hit and CCM crossover song ‘Truth Be Told’.
What can I personally say about this album’s content that hasn’t been already said in my brother’s review of it around a couple of years ago? Not much, I’m afraid. Even though the studio album recording of the album is sublime, powerful, emotive and challenging, this live album, considering that the first 15 tracks are tracks #1 through #15 of the studio recording (without any ingenuity or interesting changes here and there), is, dare I say it…pretty poor. Nothing against Carly per se, but live albums have to offer up something that studio albums don’t, for it to be attractive and good. And this live album, aside from the 4 add-on tracks at the end of the album, is just a carbon copy of Carly’s studio offering…except it’s live. While I still appreciate Carly’s music, I feel as though this album release was redundant. What was it for, if only for the Carly Pearce superfan? It is to show that Carly records good live? Is it because they (the record label) have run out of ideas of how to tweak the track listing to make the album more exciting to listen to? Whatever the case, this album feels uninspired, tired, under ‘cooked’ and frankly, doesn’t add much real replayable value that is anything above and beyond what 29: Written in Stone initially offered us. Nevertheless, Carly’s passion ought not to be denied. Here’s to hopefully delivering a new album that is more on track than this current live release. Another studio album next year? Maybe!
5 songs to listen to: Truth Be Told, 29, Never Wanted To Be That Girl, Next Girl, I Hope You’re Happy Now
Score: 2.5/5
RIYL: Martina McBride, The Chicks, Faith Hill, Lady A, Gabby Barrett, Colbie Caillat, Jana Kramer, Little Big Town