The last
Judds album may not be their strongest but nonetheless featured some killer tracks and is by no means unsuccessful when taken as a whole. There is plenty of merit here. With an opening track like
"Born to Be Blue" that begins as an old swinging
blues tune a la the 1930s and moves into a hot fusion of
country and
R&B, the album is off to a good start. There are a handful of
Naomi Judd co-writes that feature everything from
roots and
progressive country to strutting, punchy
rock & roll to heartbreaking
ballads. The remake of
Lawrence Hammond's
"John Deere Tractor" may not have be the best move to make, but then, it's not bad either.
"Calling in the Wind" sounds like
Bruce Springsteen's
"Born in the USA" at the beginning, but
Wynonna dispels any of that quickly in the verse.
"Rompin' Stompin' Bad News Blues" is a ferocious
blues rocker with acoustic guitars roiling under the voice of
Wynonna, who sings as loud as she growls, and guest star
Bonnie Raitt's greasy electric slide doesn't hurt either. Ultimately,
Love Can Build a Bridge is a fine sendoff for one of the most successful and revolutionary bands in
country history. There is much pleasure here, and it is all in the way two voices weave,
Wynonna's command of her instrument, and
Brent Maher's production that accents all the strengths and leaves just enough weakness in the mix to make the band human. ~ Thom Jurek
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