Hope & Glory

iTunes Review

Ann Wilson of Heart’s first solo album is a study in intriguing contradiction. It has a tough, professional veneer but its extensive guest list (Elton John, Alison Krauss, Wynonna, Gretchen Wilson) gives the album a casual, playful feel and the unusual collection of obvious and obscure songs make the entire project feel like the fulfillment of a lifelong music fan’s dream. Yet, the songs were picked with an ear towards the mood of a world during wartime, whether the connection be literal or simply understood. The Animals’ “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” (with Wynonna) takes on added heft, while the Youngbloods’ “Get Together” (with sister Nancy, Deana Carter and Wynonna) and “Darkness Darkness” receive modern facelifts that update the sound without losing the message. Lucinda Williams’ “Jackson” is kept as a weeping lullaby. Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song” sounds positively avant-garde. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” (with Gretchen Wilson, no relation) finds its way to the country end of the bar. John Lennon’s “Isolation” doesn’t match the primal urgency of the original (near impossible, actually) but Wilson still stirs its emotive core. Wilson’s one original, the delicate, acoustic “Little Problems, Little Lies,” slides in perfectly with its wistful hope settling alongside her palpable sorrow.