Laura Bell Bundy Shakes Her Way to Stardom

I took a theatre class my sophomore year in college and it ended up being surprisingly interesting. It mainly focused on the history of the medium, how to create a show, and where it was headed into the 21st century. However, we had to do some improve as a part of the acting unit and needless to say, I was a wreck. I managed to get a few giggles, though, and got used to it the more I was up there. I'm extremely meek in person and having to be bigger than life (or at least, a little more exaggerated in my movements) took some getting used to.

Broadway actress Laura Bell Bundy certainly had no trouble adjusting, as she took the theatre world by storm with her portrayal of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical landing her a whole lot of notoriety. As her time in hot pink heels wore down, Bundy began to expand her reach, creating an independent country album in 2007 before releasing Achin' & Shakin' earlier this month to positive reviews. Side one of this deliberately sequenced second album focuses on the achin' side of country music, i.e. the more traditional, slower ballads that are heavy on the steel guitar and fiddle Curse the Bed is pure anguish and delightfully sang; Bundy knows how to channel an emotion and make it stick, so the entire record is believable and understandable. She embodies these characters and absolutely rips your heart out on this slow burning break-up ballad. Soundwise, picture any recent Lee Ann Womack album and you have the type of vibe that side one embodies. A little sparser and less dramatic, moonlit When It All Went South is delicate and hushed, aching fiddle and feathery acoustic guitars creating a truly interesting listen. Side one has this type of quiet strength to it that makes it the better of the two sides; side two is flashy and powerful, but side one is Bundy bruised and battered but not giving up. Most obviously on this song, Laura Bell Bundy is someone that won't feel sorry for herself and that type of fearless is translated into her musical direction/choices. One of the songs previously featured on her debut album, Cigarette reeks of stale booze and anticipation, the type of barroom stunner that's pensive and weary (it's in this weird area where she's not doing the Taylor/Carrie sound but she's not doing more alt-country, either; it's a deliberate throwback to 70s/80s country). If there's one thing I would have changed about Bundy's approach on this song, I would have had her get even more into character; though her commitment is fantastic and her theatrical training helps her sell the material, her voice has this chipper edge to it that's hard to get rid of. It may just be where she has a bit of a thinner voice, but this track could have been even better than it is.

Side two allows Bundy to let loose a bit and stretch her theatrical muscle; side one demanded a bit more of a reserved, introverted performer (nary an uptempo or drum to be found), but every song on side two demands color, pizzazz, and a dynamic personality. Boyfriend? is done with a wink, confidence oozing from every line she utters, a trend for this side of the record. It may be a little off-putting for fans of contemporary country (she talks about man toys), but it's just campy enough to be entirely addicting. With a hook that demands to be shouted along with (very stadium-ready country) and sturdy guitars (plus a very kitsch rap from Bundy that's not as irritating as it could have been, mainly because she's such a personality on here that it seems plausible), it stands up to other songs on the radio, it's a track that you'll have to repeat, if only because it'll be the song you'll have in your head after the first listen. First single Giddy on Up has caused some minor controversy among viewers/fans, but I can't really understand why. Could it be the ramped up horn section? The in your face delivery? The choir-y background vocals? I understand that its dance-y production will turn some people off, but this isn't some extreme left field concoction that she's trying to pass off as country. Country music is more complex than its fans give it credit for and songs like Giddy Up bring some much needed excitement to a genre that stays even keel most of the time. If You Want My Love is a fusion of Bundy's personality quirks and kind of takes a few listens to really understand; you have her tongue twisting delivery from Giddy Up, the wink wink delivery/lyricism from Rebound, and the background vocals from Everybody joining together to be some kind of gospel-country hybrid listen that's surprisingly stirring and believable. It's a huge slice of energy and fun, a sunny toe tapper with a humorous outro and some genuinely funny lines. I personally don't repeat it a whole lot, but it plays its part well on the record.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Achin' & Shakin' is some kind of modern day masterpiece that will set your ears ablaze with its sheer awesomeness. It may not be a classic of epic proportions (there are a few low points on the record and the first side is stronger), but there are enough moments of quiet reflection and campy deliciousness to make for an all encompassing second record. Bundy uses her theatrical training well, making up for whatever limitation her voice may have (on the record, she sounds like Kellie Pickler sans southern accent and with some serious soul added in) with how deeply she connects to the mostly self-penned material. Purists may recoil in horror at the ballsy personality that Bundy exudes in interviews (she's definitely not controlled that tightly by her publicist and I love it) and the lighthearted take she has on country music (the girl raps multiple times and drops a Beyonce reference), but listen a little deeper and there's a serious artist waiting to burst out.