Laura Bell Bundy’s Debut Effort Aches, But It Still Shakes

Douglas Boultinghouse
Managing Editor/Graphic Designer

   There’s a new blonde shaking up country music.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Bell Bundy

Shakin’ Her Aches – Broadway-turned-country bombshell Laura Bell Bundy released her debut album “Achin’ and Shakin’” April 13 on Mercury Records Nashville. The album contains the hit single “Giddy On Up.”

   If you threw the blonde and energetic Julianne Hough into a blender with the definitely blonde, but sassy Kellie Pickler, your result would be the bubbly Laura Bell Bundy. 

   But Bundy’s not exactly a newcomer to the music world, or entertainment for that matter. She starred as Elle Woods in the Broadway musical version of “Legally Blonde.” Bundy also holds the title as the original Amber in “Hairspray.” On a more recognizable note, she played the young Sarah Whittle in the 1995 hit film “Jumanji.”

   As far as Bundy’s venture into country music and signing with Mercury Records Nashville to release her major label debut, it could be because she’s a country girl from Kentucky.

   Bundy has talent no doubt, and it shows on her album “Achin’ and Shakin’,” specifically the spicy first single “Giddy On Up.”

   The single continues to giddy up the charts and it should. Bundy perfected a country dance number about cheating and moving on.

   “Love, love you let me down, let me down / No you won't string me along / You better be moving on / Giddy on up, giddy on out,” she sings almost as if she’s a modern-day Dolly Parton.

   The song sets the album up to be a spectacular, fun country album.

   Unfortunately, Bundy or record executives had the idea to split the 12 songs into six “achin’” ballads and six “shakin’” upbeat songs; which you have to admit sounds creative, but makes the album seem incomplete.

   As far as the ballads, Bundy’s voice sounds sweet on “Drop On By,” “Cigarette,”  “Homecoming Queen” and “When It All Goes South” but the cluster almost overshadows the greatness of “Please” and the stand-out track, “Curse The Bed.”

   “I curse the bed / Pour on some gasoline / I curse the bed / Throw a match on all our dreams / Burn it to the ground where you lay me down,” she sings with a strong conviction in her voice.

   “Giddy On Up” kicks off the “Shakin’” tracks.

   This part of the album flips things around, having more stand-outs than average filler tracks.
“Giddy,” “Everybody,” “I’m No Good (For Ya Baby)” and “If You Want My Love” blend blues, pop and twang together … oddly effortlessly.

   “If You Want My Love” packs a steel guitar and playfulness eager to create the “Wild West Saloon” style sound.

   After singing the chorus, she beckons “So COME ON!” in a style reminiscent of a 1998 Shania Twain.

   The tracks “Boyfriend?” and “Rebound” continue the “giddy” sound, but do not have the spark the others songs contain.

   In all, Bundy should have mixed the songs together. Pairing “Giddy On Up” with “Curse The Bed” would have been like striking gold by saying “I caught you cheating and you need to go, now I’m burning ever memory we made.”

   Even if her album contains more aches than needed, Bundy’s twang and stellar pipes make up for it with a few tracks itching to shake up country radio.

©The Voice 2010