What a Crying Shame
A simply stunning country album. Granted, the songs here mark a disappointing retreat from the complex emotional truths and social commentary of the band's previousFrom Hell to Paradise, but with a sound centered around the gorgeous, soaring tenor of singer-songwriter Raul Malo, the newly simplified songs here still manage to convey rich emotional moods. With updated Ray Price shuffles, Roy Orbison-influenced country pop, a crossover cover of Bruce Springsteen's "All That Heaven Will Allow," and catchy Nashville hits like "O What a Thrill" and the title track,What a Crying Shameincludes some of the finest mainstream country music of the last 25 years.--David Cantwell