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Lauren Alaina - "Road Less Traveled" Review
Lauren Alaina spent FIVE long years writing for her new album, “Road Less Travelled”. The time she spent on this is extremely evident. Each and every lyric comes from an honest and soulful place which, as a result, can bring any listener on an emotional journey.
Upon first listening to this album, I immediately was shocked by Lauren’s voice. I mean, this girl’s got PIPES – and it seems to come to her naturally and flawlessly. This girl is literally the Demi Lovato of country music. Executing nearly impossible runs in an extremely high register, truly impeccable.
I cannot say enough good things about this album. It is extremely personal, honest, and EMPOWERING.
When in an interview with Sounds Like Nashville and asked about this “empowering” theme, Lauren Alaina stated, “I did a lot of soul searching in this writing process and I wrote over 300 songs for this album and most of those had that topic accidentally. It’s just what I’m passionate about.”
She also said, “With this writing process, I was trying to write songs that mean something to me and I’ve had such a journey with the insecurities and all of that stuff that it just kind of came naturally.”
“Doin’ Fine”, the albums opener, is one that every single person can relate to, no matter what stage of life they are in. Stemming from her parent’s recent divorce and other family and personal troubles, Lauren created an incredibly catchy take on keeping your head up through difficult times.
“I’m Doin’ fine enough to know that everyone’s a little broken / Fine enough to learn that hearts are best when they’re wide open / I still got fear inside of me / I’m not okay but I’m gonna be alright / for the first time in a long time / I’m doin’ fine.”
Another extremely notable song is “Three”. Lauren Alaina stated that it is her favorite song on the album. This power ballad explains in vivid detail what it is like to pursue a dream -the good, the bad, and the bittersweet. The main catch line is “Six years of missing home for three minutes on the radio.” The first verse explains her struggle of missing her life back home – she has not met her new family members, she hasn’t been to church in three months because she has been out on the road following her dream. The second verse touches on her long distance relationship “Three years of wishing that he was here…” The chorus sums it all up with soaring melodies and tear-jerking words,
“Mamma said you’ll be a star / daddy said you’re gonna go far / all you gotta do is sing your heart out / a lot of miles, a lot of tears / have given me some of my best years / but there’s so much I had to miss out on / six years of missing home for three minutes on the radio.”
Lauren Alaina opens up about her eating disorder with her song, “Pretty.”
“Beautiful is who you are / when no one’s watching, it’s your heart / it should be the only one to tell your story / the rhythm that it’s beating is your glory…Pretty is as pretty does.” This song can truly be an inspiration to so many people in the world."
The other songs on the album are also incredible, but more generalized. “Crashin’ the Boys Club”, “Queen of Hearts”, “Think Outside the Boy”, and “My Kind of People” are songs we tend to think are more “radio-friendly”, but still amazing just the same.
Lauren Alaina is certainly on the rise, there's no doubt about it. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and give this album a listen.
