Tina Adair is beloved by bluegrass fans for her powerful and emotional vocals. Since the release of her self-titled debut on Engelhardt Music Group in 2021, Adair has completely shifted her focus to refining her identity as a solo artist. With a great supporting cast of musicians combined with first rate material, Tina’s latest release, Here Within My Heart, serves as great confirmation of that decision.
The opening track, Bridge You’re Gonna Burn, pulls no punches. Co-written by Adair, Glen Duncan, and Adam Engelhardt, this riveting piece speaks of not being able to reverse or take back a poor choice that’s been made. This track is augmented by Scott Vestal on banjo, Cody Kilby and Pat McGrath on acoustic guitar, respectively, Jesse Brock on mandolin, Rob Ickes on dobro, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Dennis Crouch on bass, and Wes Hightower on harmony vocals. This instrumental configuration provides backup to Tina throughout the entire project.
Some Things You Can’t Undo, written by Glen Duncan and Jerry Salley, speaks of a lover wanting to receive reconciliation from their former partner, but being rejected. Sung from the perspective of the person that had been done wrong, this track is a really wonderful example of the feeling and emotion that Adair puts into her singing.
The ultimate standout on this project is Bad Intentions. Co-written again by Adair, Duncan, and Engelhardt, this commanding anthem speaks of a woman taking back control of her life and not allowing her past relationships to dominate her emotional state. Combined with a gritty melody and vocal delivery, this song is the perfect fit for Tina Adair.
I Wish I Could Hurt That Way Again is a stark contrast both lyrically and melodically from the aforementioned track. First recorded by country singer Kenny Rogers in 1978, this piece has the narrator longing for a past romantic flame in spite of the fact they endured lots of pain and grief. Rob Ickes’ performance on this track fits the song beautifully.
Although Seasons of Love is the most straight ahead bluegrass song on this project, it does have somewhat of a bluesy element which fits well within the context of the track. Written by Glen Duncan, Adam Engelhardt, Don McAfee, and Eddie Sanders, this piece tells the story of a slowly fading romance through metaphors about seasons. While this idea has been explored in other songs over the years, it’s done particularly well here.
Tina Adair has released another stellar collection of compelling material. Here Within My Heart is more than just a follow up recording, it’s an even greater example of Adair’s growth as a singer and songwriter.
