Danielle Peck [#1] (CD - 2006)

The debut from contemporary country singer Danielle Peck (released on Toby Keith's Big Machine label) marries country twang with mainstream pop smarts, resulting in an album that--while not reinventing the country wheel--is full of sharp, immediately accessible tunes. Peck herself had a hand in composing nearly all of the songs here, which range from anthemic celebrations ("Isn't That Everything"), to barbed narratives ("Sucks to Be You"), to straight-up sultry crooners ("Kiss You On the Mouth"). Peck also takes a page from the Gretchen Wilson "redneck woman" book, resulting in an album that's as strong on character as it is on quality material.

Released in June 2006, Danielle Peck, the debut album by country gal Danielle Peck, was one of the first albums to be released on the newly formed Big Machine Records, which meant that the album had a lot to carry on its shoulders. It had to be successful, not only because it form the basis for Peck's future career, but it could also be the first big seller for Big Machine. Especially for a debut album in the ever-competitive country genre, Danielle Peck is a real jewel, something that sparkles continuously and offers a fresh new look at kiss-off country. Fortunately, this album isn't just a collection of thrown-together demos that feed off one good single like most new artist's albums do. It shows promise, and that a clear thought process had gone into it. The album is similar to the sophomore CD by Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in that the whole album had a strong backbone and a well-defined story line about a single girl with a lot of problems. The whole first portion of Peck's album is about the budding of a new relationship, where she sings about finding the right guy, then travels into how amazing he is. Slowly, around track four, she shifts into the break-up portion where he has dumped her, but she slowly gets over him. Soon enough, she's out and ready for another wild night, but realizes how much she really loves him in the end. From start to finish, the album is great for any single country-loving gal, no questions asked. Granted, Peck doesn't always come off as a terrific vocalist, but she doesn't try to computer herself out of the songs, which is nice to see. In addition, she co-wrote nine out of the twelve tracks here, which is impressive, especially for a first album. This leads the listener to the realization that Peck isn't trying to gain short-term fame. She is making her mark as an artist, and gives new fans some songs to savor that aren't just her singles. Therefore, it is clear she was in on the processing of this deceivingly complicated album. Songs like "A Woman Does Too" and "Thirsty Again" would be total radio flops, but they are wonders that will go on to be her long-term fans' favorites. In addition, Peck finds a way to disperse her stronger pieces throughout the album, as opposed to clumping them in the beginning. "I Don't" is the album's strongest piece and the most widely known song on the album, but Danielle Peck is filled with honky tonk girl anthems and passionate ballads. This album wasn't thrown together overnight, and it shows. She has proven herself a terrific singer and songwriter, and impressive new ones are hard to find in country radio these days. With her debut album, this gorgeous country newbie has positioned herself to be the next Shania Twain. That's not a bad thing at all. [An 11-song version of the album was also released.] ~ Matthew Chisling minimize