Emmylou Harris Gets Emotional on ‘Hard Bargain’

Love or hate it, country and bluegrass are at the root of almost every other genre. More and more modern artists are acknowledging the connections between folk, bluegrass and current pop hits—even Rihanna made an appearance at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, performing her single “California King Bed” alongside Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles.

Of course, sometimes it takes a bit more maturity to fully appreciate music’s roots. Emmylou Harris, a staple in the country and folk music scene, has been active for over 40 years, beginning in the 70s alongside mentor Gram Parsons. Hard Bargain, Harris’s 21st studio album, begins with “The Road,” a song about her life on the road with Parsons. The album itself is a collection of stories and memories, many from Harris’s perspective, over a mix of country, rock and folk.

With her soft voice and lilt, the power behind Harris’s vocals is a bit surprising—but it’s really her lyrics and emotion that make her music so great. While the tune behind “Home Sweet Home” feels like a soft, driving country tune, the sense of loneliness in some of the lyrics is evident. Perhaps it’s the age in her voice, but whatever it is, her words feel extremely sincere.

Harris’s intense emotion may also stems from the fact that she recently lost friend and collaborator Kate McGarrigle to cancer. Much like “The Road,” “Darlin’ Kate” pays tribute to her friend, serving as a sweet obituary to her friend. Acoustic guitar and bright piano accompany the touching lyrics in an almost lullaby fashion.

“Goodnight Old World” is a sad tune with hopeful undertones. Also a lullaby, the tune features some beautiful echoing guitars and to create a haunting vibe, over which Harris contrasts her weary view of the world with the innocence of her newborn grandchild. Again, the sentiment in her voice feels completely genuine, and it’s hard to not want to just give her a big hug.

Her story songs, however, feel a bit empty. The dirge-like “My Name is Emmett Till” has a great build and tells the true story of Emmett Till, a black boy who was murdered in Mississippi for talking to a white woman, sparking the Civil Rights movement. Still, it lacks the personal emotion featured in other tracks. Then there’s “Big Black Dog,” a goofy little tune about a dog in the pound. While the song is cute and quirky, it almost feels out of place in the album—but perhaps a break from the seriousness is welcome. “New Orleans” also deviates from the slow, emotional ballads. Musically, the track is upbeat, with driven by rock and country elements. Harris’s voice seems a bit weak to carry a rock tune, but she still pulls it off in her own way.

The personal tracks, however, are the ones that stand out, like “Lonely Girl,” a sad ballad about being alone despite having a successful life (Harris was married three times throughout her career). Then there’s the contrasting “Nobody,” a steady-moving, fairly upbeat track about rediscovering a young girl’s freedom and finding happiness without necessarily having a lover to fall back on. She even brings personal sentiment to the cover songs, “Hard Bargain” by Ron Sexsmith and “Cross Yourself” by producer Jay Joyce.

Country fan or not, it’s impossible to deny Harris’s status in the industry, especially after winning 12 Grammys and receiving the Billboard Century Award. Though many of the tracks are definitely slow and sad (she even describes herself as “basically a slow ballad-y person”), the production and emotion behind the music keep the album from getting boring. If anything, it’s guaranteed that Hard Bargain is completely genuine. Folk singers will always tell stories, and Harris’s is definitely worthy of a listen.

Hard Bargain is out April 26 through Nonesuch Records. The entire album is also currently streaming in full on NPR’s website, and her single, “The Road,” is up for a free download on her website.

This article was originally published on AllMediaNY.com