Wynonna Judd's latest album leans hard on faith

Psalm 23, B.B. King, and “nana’s voice on the telephone” are some of the comforts Wynonna Judd pays homage to in the standout “Things That I Lean On,” one of 12 bluesy rock tracks on her eighth studio album, Wynonna & The Big Noise. The album, released last week, is a smooth blend of ’70s rock, ’90s folk, and ageless country blues produced by her husband, drummer Cactus Moser of Highway 101 fame. The tracks are layered with rich guitar—acoustic, electric, swampy slide, steel, mandolin, and bass. The background vocals are tight, and not over-produced.

Christian themes pervade the album. “Things That I Lean On” features thanks for God’s grace and is reminiscent of James Taylor’s “Copperline.” Judd and Jason Isbell’s duet takes the listener on a lyrical journey through the struggles with addiction faced by its co-writer, well-known Nashville songwriter Travis Sorrows, a professing Christian.

The track “Every Ending is a New Beginning” pays strong tribute to Christian perseverance, with uplifting vocals paced throughout by steel guitar and percussion. Such lyrics are noteworthy, considering both the album project and Judd and Moser’s marriage were tested months after their inception. In August 2012, Moser lost the lower part of his left leg in a motorcycle accident in South Dakota. The songs reflect that journey of long-suffering and faith. Judd told USA Today the new album is her “battle cry.”

But the songs don’t easily fit her country music typecast.

The album was largely recorded in one take at the couple’s home studio in Tennessee. Judd and Moser strove for the intimate, live, simplified sound of two voices and a guitar. Judd told Billboard her husband would take her into the studio and say, “Less of the R&B, honey, and more of the sweet Wynonna when you were 18. How would you sing this if you were still singing with your mom or to your children?”

Country radio programmers may have trouble trying to cram a Judd blues-rock jam into their playlists, but Moser’s direction away from overproduction liberated Judd’s vocal gifts. The musical style allows plenty of room for her signature growls, while enabling more freestyle vocals and dynamic tuning that gives the songs a warm familiarity. “I Can See Everything” brings to mind 1970s Poco. Turns out, Timothy B. Schmit wrote the song while he was with Poco—years before taking the lead vocals on “I Can’t Tell You Why,” from The Eagles The Long Run album.

“Jesus and a Jukebox” is a glorious tearjerker tempered by the resurrection hope of a Christian widower. (“They were two of a kind for the longest time until not too long ago.”) The song could easily serve as a sequel to Judd’s 1992 country chart topper, “She Is His Only Need.” Judd explores themes of marital bliss and overcoming relational discord in her cover of Raphael Saadiq’s “Staying in Love” and “Choose to Believe.”

Most songs are mid-tempo but full of energy. The album opens with “Ain’t No Thing”—a toe-tapping “I refuse to cry over you in my beer” song (think George Thorogood meets Bonnie Raitt). “Cool Ya” is a nice pool-side go-to, featuring “hallelujahs” that will “roll right through you.”

Judd and Moser picked the bulk of the tunes on their date nights. This offering of Southern style, with harmonies of faith, love, and getting through the rough patches serves as a solid soundtrack for just about any special evening.