Shelby Lynne - I Am Shelby Lynne (25th Anniversary Edition) (1999/2024)

Shelby Lynne Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of 'I Am Shelby Lynne' With Reissue Led by co-presidents Shane McAnally and Jason Owens and GM Katie McCartney, Monument will reissue Lynne's landmark album, I Am Shelby Lynne, on April 5. GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Shelby Lynne has signed with Monument Records and joined forces with GRAMMY Award-winning artist Karen Fairchild for the next phase of her renowned career.

Additionally, after moving back to Nashville in 2018, Lynne is currently finishing her highly-anticipated new studio album with Fairchild, Ashley Monroe and Gena Johnson. More details to be announced soon. Of the new partnerships, Lynne shares, “It's good to be back in Nashville. Being back in this city has lit me up. I've come full circle, and I can't wait to share what we've been working on.”

Additionally, Monument Records' McAnally shares, “Artists like Shelby Lynne come once in a lifetime. Her impact on artists and fans alike, including me, has been deep and wide. I'm so proud to be a part of bringing her artistry back to the forefront with new music.”

Fairchild adds, “It feels important to reintroduce Shelby Lynne's genius to a fresh wave of artists and fans. I'm blown away by her profound knowledge of music and the enormity of her talent. Shelby's uniqueness lies in her extraordinary capacity to delve into human pain and beauty through her powerful voice and storytelling.”

Released in April 1999, I Am Shelby Lynne served as a major turning point and breakthrough for Lynne leading to her winning Best New Artist at the 43rd GRAMMY Awards. Produced by Bill Bottrell, the record's impact remains felt today with NPR Music recently selecting it as one of “The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women,” praising, “As both song interpreter and songwriter, she had a revelatory angle on self-regulated, southern-accented expression.”

After years of kicking around Nashville to great acclaim but nonexistent sales, Shelby Lynne got fed up with the system and reinvented herself on I Am Shelby Lynne as a tough and sexy singer, equal parts Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. Though this album is undeniably classicist in approach, borrowing from classic R&B, country, soul, and rock & roll, it's cleverly constructed, as producer Bill Bottrell gives it a wonderful, warm production graced by slight contemporary flourishes (such as the rolling rhythms behind "Thought It Would Be Easier") that keep it fresh, not entrenched in history (even though its succinct ten tracks and half-hour running time are welcome holdovers from classic rock). Ultimately, of course, the triumph of the record belongs to Lynne, who finally sounds comfortable in her writing and voice. This music is so warm and welcoming, it's easy to overlook the darker themes running through the songs, particularly because Lynne's greatest strength is that she never oversings, shading her phrasing and drawing listeners in with her easy confidence and sexy rasp. This isn't an album that flaunts its strengths – it's expertly constructed, subtle music that grows in stature with each spin, revealing Lynne as a trad rocker of uncommon skill and charm. It may have taken her years to finally find her groove, but I Am Shelby Lynne is so good, the wait seems worthwhile.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist
[2:57] 1. Shelby Lynne - Your Lies
[3:13] 2. Shelby Lynne - Leavin'
[3:19] 3. Shelby Lynne - Life Is Bad
[3:56] 4. Shelby Lynne - Thought It Would Be Easier
[3:40] 5. Shelby Lynne - Gotta Get Back
[4:20] 6. Shelby Lynne - Why Can't You Be?
[3:30] 7. Shelby Lynne - Lookin' Up
[4:14] 8. Shelby Lynne - Dreamsome
[3:51] 9. Shelby Lynne - Where I'm From
[3:24] 10. Shelby Lynne - Black Light Blue