| I Can't Imagine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 5, 2015 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 40:47 | |||
| Label | Rounder Records | |||
| Producer | Shelby Lynne | |||
| Shelby Lynne chronology | ||||
| ||||
I Can't Imagine is the thirteenth studio album by American country music singer/songwriter, Shelby Lynne. The album was released on May 5, 2015 by Rounder Records. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Folk Albums chart.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.2/10 [1] |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Slant Magazine | [4] |
| American Songwriter | [5] |
The Metacritic score for this album is 77/100 and, as of 28 March 2020, says the album has "Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews." [2]
Thom Jurek of AllMusic concludes his review with, "I Can't Imagine is confident, assured, and fiercely independent. What ties its various threads together is the songwriter's unguarded heart, expressed by her near iconic vocal prowess, and we've come to expect nothing less from Lynne." [3]
Meredith Ochs reviews I Can't Imagine for NPR and begins, "With her voice alone, Shelby Lynne conveys a devastating spectrum of feelings - the pain of lost love and loneliness delivered in sweet, sultry tones. Add steel guitar and wide, open arrangements, as she does on her new album, and she turns emotional confusion into something so achingly beautiful that you don't want it to end." [6]
Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine gives the album 3 out of a possible 5 stars and concludes his review with, "Had she toned down some idiosyncrasies and worried a handful of these songs past what sounds like their draft stages, I Can't Imagine could’ve been a real coup for Lynne, proving that the record labels need her as decisively as she’s proven she doesn’t need them." [4]
Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter gives the album 3½ out of a possible 5 stars and writes, "it's the pure Dusty Springfield soul of "Sold the Devil (Sunshine)" and the slinky swamp of "Be in the Now" that finds Lynne at her loosest and most natural. A few more tunes in this vein would be welcome, but everything here captures the classy, sometimes sassy and always heartfelt essence that makes Shelby Lynne one of her generation’s most passionate and determined voices." [5]
Stephen L. Betts reviews the album for Rolling Stone and writes, "For her 13th full-length album, I Can't Imagine, the Grammy winner once again draws on her roots and her myriad influences, delivering 10 new tunes she has written or co-written." [7]
All tracks are written by Shelby Lynne, unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paper Van Gogh" | 3:22 | |
| 2. | "Back Door Front Porch" | 4:31 | |
| 3. | "Sold the Devil (Sunshine)" |
| 4:08 |
| 4. | "Son of a Gun" | 5:19 | |
| 5. | "Down Here" | 4:57 | |
| 6. | "Love Is Strong" |
| 3:44 |
| 7. | "Better" | 4:32 | |
| 8. | "Be in the Now" |
| 3:28 |
| 9. | "Following You" | 3:42 | |
| 10. | "I Can't Imagine" |
| 3:04 |
| Total length: | 40:47 | ||
"Paper Van Gogh"
"Back Door Front Porch"
"Sold The Devil (Sunshine)"
"Son Of A Gun"
"Down Here"
"Love Is Strong"
"Better"
"Be In The Now"
"Following You"
"I Can't Imagine"
Track information and credits adapted the album's liner notes. [8]
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Folk Albums (Billboard) [9] | 5 |
| Top Current Album Sales [10] | 88 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [11] | 20 |
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