Four women who have already made a name for themselves in Country and Americana music have joined together to form a group called The Highwomen. This is their self-titled debut album. Named after a similar supergroup formed nearly 35years ago, a group called The Highwaymen, these women (Maren Morris, Brandi Carlisle, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby) have taken the signature song of the former supergroup—also called “The Highwaymen”—and have rewritten “The Highwomen” to speak of the lives of women who have sacrificed to make their community and the world a better place. The new lyrics add poignancy to an already powerful song with an outstanding performance.
They follow with songs that speaks of the many places that women occupy in today’s culture. They sing of being a welcoming presence with “Crowded Table.” They express exhaustion from daily life when they sing, “My name can’t be Mama today.” They sing about feeling minimized in relationships in “Loose Change” and about the many roles that women now have in “Redesigning Women.” While the lyrics are thoughtful, the way the four voices are featured and come together to form powerful harmonies or unison singing is one of the real strengths of this album. A good example of this is “Old Soul,” a song about someone who feels the weight of the world as she cares for her aging parents, and aches to “be a wild child for a day.”
The Highwomen is more than just an album, it is a statement about where the genre of country music could be heading and a great listening experience. (Elektra Records)
About the Author
Robert J. Keeley is a professor of education emeritus at Calvin University and leads music at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich.