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Sara Evans – Unbroke

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Sara Evans - Unbroke

Sara Evans - Unbroke
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very personal album
  • Surprising happy ending

Even though my review of Copy That was rather average, I was rather thrilled about this new release by Sara Evans. On 7th June 2024, she shared the album Unbroke. Here is my review.

 

Sara Evans – About The Artist

I gave you quite some bio about Sara Evans in my Copy That review. Esoecially between 2000 and 2014, she was really sucessful with several Top 10 album releases. This includes the albums Real Fine Place (2005) and Stronger (2011), which both topped the US Country Album charts. She also had several chart-topping singles in the USA and Canada. Unbroke is her eleventh studio album.

 

Sara Evans – Unbroke – Track by Track

The eleven song album lasts 42 minutes.

1. Pride

The album kicks off with two single releases. The first one is Pride. Sara Evans chose a ballad to lead you into Pride. The song is about a breakup, featuring a lot of trouble and despair (Are you insane? Or are you brilliant?). A very personal experience.

2. 21 Days

The second song on the album is a very different experience. The song is uplifting with a strong rhythm, which makes it feel rather pop-ish. They say it takes 21 days to break a habit – I’m somewhere in the middle still references the breakup. Or, as Evans states, But you’re no good for me. A very nice, straight listen.

3. Mask

The first previously unreleased song of the album is Mask. The song goes back into the ballad directly. Apart from Evan’s vocals, the song is majorly driven by acoustic guitar sounds. This leads to a another very personal, touching experience.

4. Cleaning Out Your Closet

Here I am again
Picking up after you
What a mess I’m standing in
The memories and muddy boots
We had everything, but we lost it
Now I’m stuck here cleaning out your closet

The results of a break-up are a key topic of the album. Thus, Cleaning Out Your Closet is a somehow expected thing – even though it is not a typical theme in the genre. There is still a lot of struggle in it, like We had everything, but we lost it states.  The song feels modern, but is based on typical country music elements. Finally, a very good listen.

5. Heartless

The fifth track is the taunting Heartless. Evans states things like You’re so selfish and reckless. Don’t mess up with a songwriter, he or she might turn it into a song like that. And so far, Sarah Evans tells these stories in a great way.

6. Downfall

Sarah Evans really takes you through all the stages of a breakup in Unbroke. Downfall is a rather angry song with stomping bass drums and hard guitar riffs. You will always be my downfall sends a clear message.

7. I Wanna Be Wrong

The piano, which is opening for the seventh song, is already telling you: this is one of the most emotional listens of the album. The ballad is a lovely listen. The struggle is very present in the song, as lyrics like Knowing I should move on, but I loved you so long emphasizes. A beautiful listen.

8. Sorry Now

There have been three single releases before Sara Evans shared the full Unbroke album. The third and last one on the album is Sorry Now, which continues with the ballad style. There are piano elements again, but also howling guitars.

But right now there’s no place I belong
Feels like all hope is gone
But I wanna be wrong

9. Better Than This

After this very emotional side, the guitars early suggest that this song will have more rocking elements. The song is again very angry, Sara Evans accuses her former husband with words like Don’t say you’re sorry now, it’s just a bunch of nothing falling out your mouth. Later she underlines I can’t listen to it anymore. The result of these emotions is a really nice country song with a rock heart.

10. Unbroke

We could’ve had the world
Instead, we burnt it down
We left everyone we loved in the ashes
Of the love you give or the love you don’t
Comes back around or it just won’t
Ever change until we figure out

The almost five minute title track has a forgiving touch. The song is a rather slow one. As the lyrics already suggest Evans presents a lot of emotions again, which makes the song catching and very relatable.

11. Gypsy Ways

My traveling days
Are getting in the way
Of waking up with you
Yeah, it’s all I wanna do

With 2:45 minutes, the chucker-out Gypsy Ways is the shortest song of the album. The hymnic song surprises with feelings of being (back) in love and leads to a surprising finish.

 

Sara Evans – Unbroke – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Sara Evans – Unbroke – My View

According to news sources around end of March 2024, Sara Evans and Jay Barker are back together after their divoce in 2021 and other lawsuits. That’s the surprising end of a story, which finally lead to the very personal and catching Unbroke. I really like this album – not only as it is finally presenting a (hopefully) happy ending.

Favorite Song: Better Than This

 

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