Jennifer Nettles: How is she doing as a solo artist?
Jennifer Nettles, lead singer of the group Sugarland, has been receiving mostly positive reviews for her solo album and concert tour.
Nettles released her album, 鈥淭hat Girl,鈥� on Jan. 14 and Associated Press writer Michael McCall compared 鈥淕irl鈥� to 鈥渃lassic Carole King and Linda Ronstadt.鈥�
鈥淣ettles is blessed with a voice that features a wide range and a distinct, vinegary tone,鈥� McCall wrote. 鈥淏ut it's her ability to connect with a song's emotional content that makes her stand out most鈥� [The album is] a reminder of how powerful music can be when it comes from the heart 鈥� and tilts more toward talent than technology.鈥�
The singer began her tour in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14 and writer Emily Yahr called the show 鈥渃almer and more serious鈥� than Nettles鈥檚 team-up with Kristian Bush of Sugarland. Because of the new tone, Yahr called the show 鈥渇rankly鈥� a little less fun鈥� than seeing the two Sugarland members together.
鈥淥f course, Nettles鈥� still has that spectacular, bombastic twang that she uses like a flying superhero when she sings 鈥� her tremendous voice swoops in and out,鈥� Yahr wrote. 鈥淪he could never really lose people鈥檚 attention鈥� But it was hard for the audience to get too amped up as she focused on slow, quiet material from her new album.鈥�
However, Chuck Yarborough of the, who saw Nettles the next night, compared the singer鈥檚 attempt to go solo to 鈥渁 10-round fight鈥� and said he saw 鈥渁 championship down the road.鈥�
鈥淭he Georgia-born frontwoman clearly was at ease in front of a sold-out crowd,鈥� Yarborough wrote. 鈥淣ettles was able to demonstrate that her voice is more than one that can rattle rafters.鈥�
He did note that the night was 鈥渁 little rough鈥� because of technical glitches but wrote that he was confident 鈥渢hings that will work themselves out with time.鈥�
