Dixie Krauser

One of the most revelatory discoveries when the Dixie Chicks toured the United States for the first time in ten years was that they had never sounded better…

The Dixie Chicks were indeed on top of the world when they launched their supporting tour for their chart-topping 2002 album, Home. As the tour rolled on, they stepped into some controversy, as lead singer Natalie Maines claimed during the buildup to the 2003 Iraq War that the trio was ashamed to be from the same state as President George W. Bush, leading to a prolonged talk radio-fueled media firestorm that hurt their image within country, even as it didn't diminish their sales.

Gaslighter is the brilliant new album from the Dixie Chicks (the fifth studio album to be released by the band). It is their first new album since 2006’s Taking The Long Way which won five Grammy Awards including “Album Of The Year,” “Record Of the Year” and “Song Of The Year.” Gaslighter is produced by Jack Antonoff with the Dixie Chicks. Superstars, renegades, innovators, heroes, villains, and moms, the Dixie Chicks have grown from a band into a cultural phenomenon. Since the release of their debut album Wide Open Spaces in 1998, the Dixie Chicks’ music has stirred emotions in fans across the world, making them one of the biggest and most influential bands of our time.

This is a good selection of the beautiful music the Dixie Hummingbirds made: tight-knit harmonies, fervent soloing, and songs ranging in mood from tender and peaceful to hand-clapping, shouting joy. This earnest and lovely music demonstrates why they're one of the groups that even unbelievers love, and joining them on at least some cuts are the Angelics. The passionate title track, "Move On Up a Little Higher," kicks things off, and is followed by another intense number – a version of "In the Morning" recorded live at what must've been quite a church service. There are plenty of breathers included, too, such as the a cappella numbers "Beaming from Heaven," the heartbreaking "Young Man" and "Get Away Jordan."