A girl learns the hard way not to let friends discourage her from pursuing a good man on “A Home” (“I mistook the warnings for wisdom”). Sparring couples and warring nations need “More Love.” “Travelin’ Soldier” remembers young men killed in Vietnam. “I Believe in Love” seeks true love, rejecting one-night stands (“I’d rather be alone . . . than settle for the kind of love that fades in the morning light”). A lullaby expresses affection for a child and states, “God hears ‘Amen’ wherever we are” (“Godspeed”). Divorce yields “Tortured, Tangled Hearts.” Also a cautionary tale of sorts, the tongue-in-cheek “White Trash Wedding” finds a pregnant girl racing to marry a reluctant boyfriend. “Long Time Gone” celebrates a simple life shared with family that includes regular church attendance.
The young man on “White Trash Wedding” needs “a nip of gin” to get him to the altar.
On past projects the Dixie Chicks were positive, but commonly threw in a song or two that undermined their efforts. This disc is a pleasant departure. Plenty of good themes with no major hiccups. For teens partial to country music, there’s no place like Home.