I Gotta Be Me

Sean excels with new styles

     

Sean Wiggins has come up with another strong album with "I Gotta Be Me". She mixes familiar styles from her earlier work with some interesting new ideas.

Songs like "Mercury In Retrograde" and "I Gotta Be Me" shine with the same catchy tunes and crisp narratives Wiggins has offered in the past. But "Lucky In Love" has a definite country and western twang. "Place In My Heart" would fit right in on a Bruce Sprinsteen or John Mellencamp album. Sean also uses more complex arrangements on this album. There are harmonies that sound incredible. The mixes keep her vocals are out front, so you can hear her thoughtful lyrics, but the other elements, like the mandolin and cello, are clear and effective. Linda Moss returns with a harmonica that's hard to ignore.

"Anyway It Happens" is so beautiful it gives me the chills. I'm not usually much for love songs, but it strikes an incredible balance between affection, love, lust and obsession. She never ceases to amaze me with her talent for complex, compelling melodies. Then, just a few tracks later, she does it all again on "Remember Spring"!

There are some live song introductions by Sean, but this isn't a live album. It's all studio tracks. This album is solid evidence that Sean Wiggins is getting better all the time.