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One of country's fastest-rising acts, Sugarland arrive at their follow-up to 2004's triple-platinum Twice the Speed of Life in a considerably altered state. Chief songwriter and founding member Kristen Hall is gone, and producer Garth Fundis (Trisha Yearwood) has been usurped in favor of crossover hitmaker Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill). One could argue that these are the predictable results of success--by opening for such megastars as Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn, the Atlanta-based trio was forced to retool its organic, singer-songwriter, folk-rock sound to fill arenas. And while their intricate vocal harmonies added a subtle creative dimension to their debut, Enjoy the Ride is made up mostly of songs ("County Line," "Mean Girls") constructed to showcase lead singer Jennifer Nettles's big voice in ways the previous album did not. While the repertoire was written by Nettles and surviving partner Kristian Bush in collaboration with proven songsmiths Bobby Pinson, Lisa Carver, and Tim Owens, much of the wistful intimacy of the first album is now diminished. Furthermore, it seems foolish to now call this act a duo, as Bush receives very little time in the spotlight apart from his vocal harmonies and performance on guitar and mandolin. None of this should matter on the charts, however, since the real focus was always on Nettles, whose twangy, force-field soprano more than carries the day. As before, the lyrics are upbeat and positive--if the message of the first album was of flight and searching, the theme here is of digging in. The winsome Nettles does a fine job of selling it all, positioning herself as the Ambassador of Optimism, the Deep South successor to Jo Dee Messina. --Alanna Nash
Sugarland, with the help of producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack), deliver the same ferocity on Enjoy The Ride. From the catchy coming-of-age kick-off single and chart-topping "Want To," to the reflective rocker "County Line" and the hopelessly optimistic "One Blue Sky," the combination of Jennifer's powerhouse country-soul voice with Kristian's passionate harmonies and deep-rooted musicality hits home, even if these two road veterans, each with a decade of club experience behind them, hardly ever see theirs. "If we can't go home, we do in our minds," Kristian explains of their songwriting process, which on this record, includes collaborations with country artist Bobby Pinson ("Want To"), Brad Paisley's co-writer Tim Owens ("Settlin'"), old pal Jeff Cohen ("April Showers") and Nashville local Lisa Carver ("One Blue Sky," "Everyday America," "County Line," "These Are The Days"). "There's a sense of nostalgia," Jennifer continues. "You pull from the time when you were figuring out who you are as a person. Like in 'Want To,' it's not only a story of falling in love, it's about that moment or a choice that could change your life. And with 'County Line,' it's about a place where you have your first kiss or get in a fight or talk about football and that time when you felt most free."
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