Hard Bargain - Emmylou Harris
Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Billboard.com
    Apr 25, 2011
    90
    The 13-track set, produced by Jay Joyce, assures us that she's more than OK, with a still-luminous voice that can make the phone book sound like Puccini.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Apr 22, 2011
    83
    Some of the story-songs are drippy, but that voice remains dry.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Hackskeptic
    6
    It's hard to be critical of an artist who maintains a steadfast commitment to her roots, a continued integrity in her field of music, and a legacy of extraordinary musical highs, but Emmylou's new album sounds terribly weary. So often her pitch perfect tones have relaxed and soothed, whilst her writing has held an ethereal depth way beyond the majority of her peers. Indeed, "Hard Bargain" opens with a nostalgic trip back to the place where she discovered and honed her skills by celebrating her former cohort and hero, Gram Parsons on the atmospheric ballad "The Road". The melancholy spreads to another recently departed friend, Kate McGarrigle on "Darlin' Kate", but the true highlight of Harris's dark reflections comes on the excellent first person delivered "My Name Is Emmett Till". The song captures the story of a 14 year old black boy who was tortured and later murdered by a posse in Mississippi and later became a catalyst for the civil right movement. For all the passion Harris continues to deploy in her songs, she occasionally drifts into sloppy whimsy and "Big Black Dog" is an example of a poor song slipping through the quality control department and sullying the record. "You're not brown, you're not yellow, Bella, Bella, my big black dog" are the sort of lyrics you'd expect a ten year old to be disappointed with, so why no one picked up that the song simply isn't strong enough to be included is a complete mystery. Another reservation is Jay Joyce's lifeless production effort, which, although polished, lacks an organic earthiness to complement Emmylou's introspective vocals. This effect would have saved "Six White Cadillac's" from sounding like an obligation to fill time. There's probably enough here to keep the fans content, but "Hard Bargain" sees Emmylou Harris settling for some mixed creations, flat productions and tired presentations. http://hackskeptic.com… Full Review »
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