Disco de Sara Evans: “Real Fine Place”

This fifth album by one of country music's finest is my new favorite. She wrote 6 of the 13 songs on this wonderful album full of the traditional back-to-her-roots but also the modern buzz of a female country artist topping the charts. The first song "Coalmine" breaks right into an old-fashioned toe-tapping tune that makes you laugh to hear the lyrics. The description of wanting to make love to her man all sweaty and "all muscled up" just makes me smile. The second tune "A Real Fine Place to Start" has made wonderful progress on the charts, being #1 for three weeks in a row on the country charts and is such a catchy sing-along. The fourth track, "New Hometown" written by Sara and her brother Matt Evans describes the wanderlust of a couple longing for the charm of a small town where there are Friday night football games, parades, and "where everybody knows our names." This song reminds me of my traveling spirit and a longing for the little towns like the one I grew up in. Track five, "You'll Always Be My Baby", also written by the artist must have come straight from her heart as a mother of three children, telling of the deep devotion and love for her children. Sara's rendition of Sheryl Crow's "Roll Me Back in Time" on track 7 actually sounds a little like Sheryl. Track 8, "The Secrets That We Keep" is super sexy. It almost makes you blush because of the deep secrets exposed on this song about making love with your significant other. Another very sexy song about love, also written by the artist is track 10, "Tell Me", focusing on always craving and needing to know more and more about your lover. She describes the deep love she feels and how she wants to know more and more about her lover and wants to do anything for him. "Missing Missouri", track 11, seems like such a perfect fit to Sara Evans (she is from Missouri) you'd think she wrote the song herself. It was written by Mark Kerr, Trent Tomlinson, and Danny Wells, but I am guessing they wrote this with Sara in mind. You can just feel that homesick feeling of "being stuck out on this road" and the rejuvenation of being "almost home, where they love me, where they know me, where they show me back in Missouri." Track 12, "Momma's Night Out" is a fun, catchy tune about a mother/wife going out for the night for a girl's night out after a long hectic week.

This album was well worth the wait, and it is wonderful to see the maturity Sara has acquire from album to album. She has such a beautiful voice and she has a quality that seems to make you feel eaxactly what she is singing about. I have always thought that she is so real, you could just listen to her and know exactly what she means in every song. "Real Fine Place" is definitely a fine place to be for Sara. A true winner.

After I bought "Real Fine Place", it prompted me to go out and buy "Restless" and "Born To Fly". This album is stellar and flawless. It has just the right amount of country and edge. "Real Fine Place" opens up with a high energy song, "Coalmine" followed by the hit singles "A Real Fine Place to Start", and "Cheatin'". "New Hometown" is a fun upbeat song. The album slows down to the wonderful ballad "You'll Always Be My Baby". The song has a very sweet sentimental message. Things pick up again with "Supernatural", another wonderful tune. Other highlights from this album include "Roll Me Back In Time", "The Secrets That We Keep", "Missing Missouri", "Bible Song", and "Momma's Night Out". If you purchase this at Target, you get four bonus tracks: "Caged", "Best Days Are Coming", "You", and a live version of "Suds In The Bucket". There are no fillers on this album; every song has the potential to be a hit. This is what country is supposed to sound like. Sara is the most underrated country singer who keeps delievering outstanding albums. I highly recommend the album.

Of all of the Sara Evans CD's that I own, this one is my favorite. When I popped this CD in for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked every song on the album; every single track was excellent. With this album, it sounds like Ms. Evans has finally found her sound. My absolute favorite song on this album is "Missing Missouri" (not that I'm biased or anything). I heard this song in concert long before the album came out, and I've been slightly obsessed with it ever since.

"The Secrets that We Keep" is a sensual and beautiful song. This was written by the same couple (Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey) that fell in love and married while writing Lonestar's legendary "Amazed." They are both of equal caliber.

If you enjoy good music then you will like all of the songs on this album. Sara's voice is exquisit, and you won't be disappointed.

One big tip: The album issued at Target stores contains 4 UNRELEASED EXTRA songs that only come on albums purchased at Target. They are "Caged," "The Best Days are Coming," "You," and "Suds in the Bucket" (Live in West Virginia).

This, Sara's 5th album, is a strong 4 stars, not quite 5 tho. It has a number of songs on it that now seem kind of ironical given her current family problems, but that wasn't her intent at all nor should it influence consideration of the music. This album continues more or less in the "Restless" vein, being perhaps a bit less poppy. Definitely mainstream country. Notable stuff:

Coalmine - ode to working class hubby

Real Fine Place - has energy and spirit

Cheatin' - funny lyrics about how a cheatin' man is getting comeupance from life while the woman enjoys herself for once

Supernatural

Roll Me BAck in Time - lover chases Hollywood fame rather than his beloved

Bible Song - has a good, moving story about singer's cousin who commits suicide and its effect on loved ones

Missing Missouri - nice salute to home state and family

Momma's Night Out - uptempo and spunky. The wife/mom is gonna hit the town with the girls and leave domestic stuff to hubby.

I loved Sara Evans's album "Restless"...I still love listening to it to this day! So I had great expectations for "Real Fine Place," just like anybody who heard "Restless" would. When I finally got "Real Fine Place," I liked a few of the songs...but not too many of them got my attention and got me to listen to the whole song, whereas on "Restless" I could just pick a song and listen to the whole thing. My favorite song on this album is "Roll Me Back In Time" because it's written by Sheryl Crow and it sounds great. Other highlights are "A Real Fine Place To Start," "Cheatin'," "You'll Always Be My Baby," "Supernatural," and "Bible Song."

I look forward to Sara's next album, hoping that she will go back to the eras of "Born To Fly" and "Restless."