Unglamorous is the first major label debut album from country/folk singer Lori McKenna. After three songs written by McKenna appeared on Faith Hill's 2005 album, Fireflies, Warner Bros. Records re-released McKenna's 2004 album Bittertown (her fourth independent release). Unglamorous, however, is the first album of McKenna's recorded specifically for a major label. The album was released August 14, 2007 on StyleSonic Records through Warner Bros. Records.
All of the songs were written or co-written by McKenna. She describes her songs as a collision of autobiography, observation and a vivid imagination.[1] As a 38-year-old mother of five and married 19 years to the same man, McKenna has a lot of life experience to draw upon.
"I only can write about what I know or conversations I've had with people who have the same type of life that I do," McKenna says in Billboard, "I live in the same town I grew up in. I only have a sixth grade vocabulary, and I only know three chords. This is who I am, and I don't really have time to take a piano class or anything."[2]
The opening cut, "I Know You", makes a reference to poet, D. H. Lawrence.
The first single release from the album was the title track, "Unglamorous".
Unglamorous was widely reviewed with a generally favorable reception. An analysis of reviews by Metacritic assigned the album a score of 80 out of 100 placing the album just below the top rated albums of 2007.[5] Writing for Billboard, critic Ken Tucker suggests the album may be "one of [2007's] best country albums."[1]
A number of reviews expressed concern that the more slick Nashville production was not the best setting for McKenna's songs, and Rolling Stone describes the sound at times as falling into "unglamorous midtempo muck."[4] Other writers felt that the production, while evidently high-end, still served the musical direction of the album. According to The Boston Globe, "The subtle twang that crept into the smart folk and finely wrought Americana on McKenna's four previous albums has been shined up and sharpened, but the endeavor still feels natural."[6]
Tour
McKenna toured as an opening act for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw on the first five weeks of their Soul2Soul 2007 Tour in June and July 2007 to help promote the album. This 18 show run in the United States and Canada introduced McKenna's music to 260,000 Hill and McGraw fans.[2]
McKenna tours with the support of a Boston band (musicians that do not appear on this recording) that includes Mark Erelli, Paul Kochanski, Russell Chudnofsky, and John Sands. She has since toured as an opener for country singer Trisha Yearwood.
