Lucy Hale portrays Aria Montgomery, the hippest of all the Pretty Little Liars, so there's a slight cultural dissonance by her decision to sing contemporary country, not pop, on her 2014 debut album,
Road Between. It's country in its intent and often in its pedigree -- the record is largely produced by ex-
Whiskeytown member
Mike Daly (who went on to co-write with
Jason Mraz),
Kacey Musgraves co-wrote "That's What I Call Crazy," and
Joe Nichols duets on "Red Dress" -- but the feel of
Road Between is pristine pop, thanks in large part to
Hale's crisp, chipper delivery. Grit is a foreign concept to
Hale, a point that's accentuated on "Red Dress" when
Nichols' baritone twang makes her precise enunciation seem extra earnest, but that eagerness to please is also often charming, particularly when combined with
Daly's bright production. Generally,
Road Between is better when it's lighter. When the tempo slows, so does the momentum, but it's not
Hale's fault; she handles the melodrama well, scaling emotional peaks with the aplomb of a music theater student, but the ballads are often overblown, emphasizing production instead of tune. Conversely, the sprightlier moments -- which include
Shania-styled foot-stomps like "Goodbye Gone" and also the swaying, midtempo summer song "From the Backseat" -- are strongly melodic and
Daly accentuates the hooks expertly, piling on the guitars, backing vocals, and keyboards without seeming excessive or burying
Hale's voice. When this formula works -- and it often does, highlighted by the effervescent first single "You Sound Good to Me," the breezy "Kiss Me" (not a
Sixpence None the Richer cover but nevertheless sounding as if it could've fit on the soundtrack to She's All That), and the mild swagger of "Lie a Little Better" --
Road Between is irrepressibly charming commercial pop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine