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Better Than Home
Beth Hart
Label: Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Review Date: April 12, 2015
Love it/Buy it.
Yeah, it’s that great.
Long time Boomerocity readers already know that we’re HUGE Beth Hart fans and have loved this amazing woman’s work from the git go. In fact, it was a very special day when Boomerocity had the privilege of interviewing this incredibly talented artist (here).
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, once again, start a review of Beth Hart work with, “Love it/Buy it.” Her first solo studio album since her 2012 album, “Bang Bang, Boom Boom,” and her in-studio collaboration, “See Saw,” with Joe Bonamassa, is, without a doubt, her best, most introspective and compelling album, yet.
On this album, Ms. Hart reveals the intimate depths of her personal pain to not only examine them but transform them into something empowering and insightful. As she has shared in various interviews (including the aforementioned Boomeocity interview), Beth has come from intense periods of struggle in her life, from the loss of her sister to AIDS, to drug use and family strife, to an eventual bipolar diagnosis that was both frightening and liberating.
All of this has been the catalyst of her great songwriting and is evidenced on “Better Than Home.” Women and men, alike, have been (and will be) inspired and encouraged by her amazing story.
Boomerocity can’t and won’t pick a favorite song from this album because they’re all great. So here are some thoughts about four randomly selected cuts from this treasure chest of eleven beautifully written songs:
The title song is a brilliantly written song in which Beth meets her maker and sharing that Heaven is, in fact, better than home.
“Might As Well Smile” should be required listening for anyone going tough times, reminding us to not to take things too seriously.
Hart shows that she gets the temptation of wanting to throw in the towel and let go in her moving, “Tell ‘em To Hold On.” Those who have felt that lowest of lows senses that Beth knows that feeling all to well but knows that there’s sound reason to not let go.
“Mechanical Heart” is a powerful love song to Hart’s husband of 15 years, vowing that she will find a way to give him all that he deserves despite her emotional limitations.
If you can buy only one album this month, “Better Than Home” is THE one to buy and will encourage and bless you for years to come.
Yeah, it’s that great.