Lyle Lovett released Release Me

Release Me Lyle Lovett

Released: February 28, 2012 Peak: 60 US, 9 CW Sales (in millions): -- Genre: alt-country/Americana

Tracks: Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom [3:06] Release Me (with k.d. lang) [2:45] White Boy Lost in the Blues [3:32] Baby, It’s Cold Outside (with Kat Edmonson) [3:17] Isn’t That So [4:50] (3/3/12, 26 AA) Understand You [3:43] Brown Eyed Handsome Man [3:36] Keep It Clean [2:36] One Way Gal [2:59] Dress of Laces (with Sara Watkins) [6:13] The Girl with the Oliday Smile [3:57] Night’s Lullaby (with Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins [3:25] White Freightliner Blues [5:06] Keep Us Steadfast [2:45] Total Running Time: 51:50

Rating: 3.185 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Some 27 years after Lyle Lovett signed with Curb Records he brings the association to an end with Release Me, a collection of covers and oddities to usher the singer out of his contract. Lyle makes no bones about his departure, not with the album’s title or its cover of Lovett tied up in a lariat, but for as misshapen and wooly as it is, Release Me actually doesn’t play like a contractual obligation. Sure, Lovett may have only two writing credits among these 14 songs and both of the cuts are holiday tunes, but the appeal of Release Me is that it's decidedly messier than Lyle has allowed himself to be on record.” AMG “And it’s a mess with purpose, too: the album touches upon nearly every style Lovett has tried on since he signed with Curb in 1985, so it’s a summation yet it lacks pretension. His good humor is evident throughout, surfacing not only on the randy good humor of The Girl with the Holiday Smile, but infusing the rollicking, loose-limbed rhythms of the rest of the record.” AMG “There are a handful of slower, contemplative moments, but Release Me is an unquestioned celebration where the blues are the soundtrack for a good time and Chuck Berry’s Brown-Eyed Handsome Man is slowed down to a knowing, soulful crawl. There’s an ease to Release Me that’s utterly charming – Lovett is relaxing into the songs and sounds he loves, and he hasn’t sounded like so much fun in years.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Lyle Lovett AMG All Music Guide Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 5/20/2022.