Album review: Natalie Maines, Mother (Columbia)

Maines is the bell-voiced lead singer of the Dixie Chicks and, as such, worthy to be admired.

Here she is soloing it for the first time, supported manfully by “blues” guy Ben Harper’s earnest rock guitars, over a suite of songs about the open wound that is life. All very authentic and in the room. The songs are by Messrs Vedder, Buckley and Waters (the title track), plus Harper and Maines herself. Aimee Mann does this vibe with more wit.