Home

Never mind their deserved mainstream success, the Dixie Chicks are the real country deal and they prove it definitively with *Home*, their sixth release. They have a natural affinity for close harmony singing and they can flat out play — Martie Maguire works a fine fiddle (she once earned third place in the National Fiddle Championships), her sister Emily Robison owns the banjo, and Natalie Maines contributes sensational, swooping lead vocals that are on par with anyone in country music today. Even their lineage is pure: Maines is the daughter of steel guitar master Lloyd Maines, who adds his legendary touch to several songs on the album, along with some production help. So it’s no surprise that this is such a pure, old-time sounding record, as they play down the contemporary side of their sound that helped make their multi-platinum *Wide Open Spaces* a crossover hit. Fiddle, steel guitar, sharply picked acoustic guitar, banjo, and their velvety voices dominate *Home*, and it’s a pleasure to hear the Dixie Chicks take their place in the country music continuum by performing bluegrass, prairie ballads, updated Texas swing, and honky-tonk breakdowns. Split between solid original compositions and some excellent cover choices, *Home* is all about instinct, feel, and fun, and they leave no doubt that this music lives inside of them. This is arguably their finest, most consistent recording and an inspiration to anyone who thinks that real country music is truly “long time gone.”