The first time
Jennifer Nettles
stepped away from
Sugarland
she teamed with producer
Rick Rubin
for
That Girl
, a 2014 album that leaned hard on her earthy rock underpinnings.
Playing with Fire
, the sophomore set delivered two years later, is the flip side of the coin. Produced by
Dann Huff
-- a Nashville veteran with a back-story in AOR rock --
is snappy, shiny country-pop with such a strong R&B undercurrent that it comes as no surprise when
Jennifer Lopez
stops by to duet on the album-closing "My House." Its lithe drum loops accentuate how well the rest of
incorporates modern soul. Much of the record plays with these bright rhythms -- "Hey Heartbreak" pushes it into the realm of crossover AAA pop, "Chaser" simmers with these nimble cadences, while "Sugar" swaggers like vintage
Shania Twain
-- and this playfulness winds up as an attractive accent to the album's professional sturdiness.
Nettles
and
Huff
have a keen ear for material, providing a showcase for
Brandy Clark
(the slyly funny "Drunk in Heels"), choosing songs that highlight her knack for understated balladry ("Three Days in Bed," "Salvation Works") or skill as a belter ("Playing with Fire"), yet nothing here feels like showboating. There's a subtlety to how all these moods fit together and that's what makes
a success: each song plays upon a distinctive mood but, added together, it provides a portrait of a sharp, savvy country diva. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine