Dixie Chick Natalie Maines goes solo in a rocking new album, crowd-tested at SXSW. The South By Southwest festival in Texas was treated to about an hour with the popular lead singer as a solo artist, reports the Inquisitr on Saturday, March 16. Her first solo album, “Mother,” will be released May 7, and Natalie ran through the album’s 10 songs in order of planned appearance.
The Dixie Chicks band won four Grammys in 2007, but politics and bad luck dogged the group after that. Now Natalie Maines sports a Bieber 'do and a voice as clear and strong as ever. Fans have missed her. But when a Dixie Chick goes solo, something is bound to be missing. Concert-goers seemed to agree part of the old Maines spunk was not coming through.
For a while, anyway. The album is more rock than country, which was an unexpected turn. Toward the end of the performance, Natalie’s energy level – and that of the crowd – seemed to pick up. Her voice soared on several cover favorites. The album may gain strength on the final cut.
This is a new Natalie Maines, and fans will need to check her out. It’s worth the effort.
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