Roots and Wings (Bonus Track Version)

Freed from the constraints of the Nashville hit machine, Terri Clark shows the full range of her formidable talents as a singer/songwriter on Roots and Wings. In recent years, Clark has added depth to her mix of traditional and crossover country by stepping away from production-driven tunes in favor of something more honest. Roots and Wings revisits the sort of uptempo fare that Clark built her reputation on in the ‘90s with a new spark and intelligence—tracks like “Wrecking Ball” and “We’re Here for a Good Time” are both catchy and substantial. “Breakin’ Up Thing” (a wry honky-tonk number) and “Lonesome’s Last Call” (a downbeat barroom waltz) have the feel of classic country, while “Flowers in Snow” takes her into acoustic territory somewhere between Appalachia and Ireland. Most affecting is “Smile,” a song written for Clark’s late mother; it features Alison Krauss on vocals and fiddle. “Northern Girl” feels like both a personal anthem and a salute to her Canadian brethren. Produced with taste and sung with conviction, Roots and Wings is Clark’s most adventuresome and well-realized album to date.