Stronger

iTunes Review

Country-rock bad girl Carlene Carter hasn’t changed much over the years. She’s always had a resilient indifference to the opinions of others, strutting her own stuff regardless of current fashion. However, suffering the passing of four close family members in 2003 (country legends, stepfather Johnny Cash and mother June Carter Cash, younger sister Rosey, and long-time partner Howie Epstein) sent Carter emotionally reeling. The title track of her 2008 comeback confronts her tragedy head-on and hints of her struggles can be heard throughout a sampling of the album’s material. But Carter is not one to dwell for long. “Judgement Day” is a gentle, poignant piano-based ballad, while the loose hop-stepping “Break My Little Heart in Two” and the more sedate country ballad “It Takes One to Know Me” allow her vulnerable side a little more show. Elsewhere, Carter keeps her spirits up with uptempo country-rock numbers that keep that chip of defiance on her shoulder. “Why Be Blue,” “The Bitter End” and a remake of her 1980 tune “I’m So Cool” show Carter has lost none of her swagger. She taps the emotional reservoir when she feels it, but she’s a survivor intent on getting the most out of each living day.