Even if doing the right thing seems fruitless, listeners are urged to do it “Anyway.” People put mistakes behind them and take steps toward healing on “Cry Cry (‘Til the Sun Shines).” Other tracks pledge romantic commitment (“I’ll Still Be Me”), rejoice in a meaningful relationship (“How I Feel”) and find an unwed mother keeping her baby and looking toward a better future (“Beautiful Again”). A family’s love for and faith in each other make a modest “House of a Thousand Dreams” feel like a castle. On “Love Land” God’s grace is bigger than a couple’s trials, which go from shotgun marriage to miscarriage to, finally, a son. Unfortunately …
The line “Only God could have planned the steps I’ve taken” implies that He was also behind the initial moral failure. A profanity (“h—“) mars “If I Had Your Name,” which also seems to applaud a wife’s right to divorce over incompatibility (“If I had your name, I’d be changing it right now”). Photos show McBride in a low-cut dress.
On the optimistic, homespun Waking Up Laughing, love is the epoxy that bonds couples, families and cultures, while people make the most of second chances. Solid. Parents willing to talk through the disc’s hiccups may decide that, on the whole, good prevails.
