Lady Antebellum

Need You Now

Capitol Nashville

Released Jan. 26, 2010

Grade: B+

A country album on the Billboard 200 chart? Yes, you heard right, and I am not talking about the country-pop sensation Taylor Swift — although, sorry Kanye, her album still finished the week off on a high note at No. 10.

No, this time it is the contemporary country trio Lady Antebellum that caused a stir.

Beating out such highly buzzed-about artists as Lady Gaga and Jaheim, Lady Antebellum’s new make-you-feel-good album Need You Now seems to be just what music listeners need right now.

Within days of hitting the shelves, Need You Now, the group’s second album, has become a top seller among both the country and mainstream circuits. While it is no surprise that the album has reigned in at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart since its Jan. 26 debut, Lady Antebellum’s smooth vocals and heartfelt lyrics have also appealed to a wider audience, enabling them to hover at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Although Lady Antebellum is fairly new to the music scene, having formed in 2006, the group is no stranger to the top of the charts. In 2007, the trio captured the attention of fellow artist Jim Brickman, launching into the music industry as guest vocalists on his single “”Never Alone.”” Shortly after they signed with Capitol Records and released their self-titled album, Lady Antebellum. With such hit singles as “”Love Don’t Live Here”” and “”I Run to You,”” the album not only made history as the first album by a duo or group to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, but it also earned them numerous awards, including several Grammy Award nominations and Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award.

As of last October, Lady Antebellum’s debut album went platinum, and I venture to guess that Need You Now will follow suit, if not proving to be even more successful.

Bursting with soothing melodies expressing sentiments sung with genuine passion and clarity, Need You Now is the perfect CD to pop in the stereo when in need of a little R & R after a long day. Better yet, it would make the perfect complement to an afternoon road trip: windows down, sun shining on your sunglasses, fresh air blowing — the uplifting nature of the trio’s vocals and musical accompaniment makes it hard to not love being alive.

With lyrics touching on a wide variety of themes such as true love, regret and precious moments in life, the album’s tracks also offer a relatively refreshing range of style and tone. Not only do you hear the trademark country twang of an acoustic guitar throughout many of their songs, but the band also combines such instrumental accompaniments as drums, electric guitar, piano and strings, adding a rich resonance to the crisp vocals of Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley.

The album’s title single, “”Need You Now,”” which weaves crisp and haunting harmonies with tender laments, earned Lady Antebellum immediate success, helping them to sell over 480,000 copies in its first week alone.

So, if you haven’t yet listened to Lady Antebellum, I suggest you do so — now.