Pure & Simple by Dolly Parton
"Pure & Simple" is the 43rd solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released worldwide on August 19, 2016, by Dolly Records and RCA Nashville. It is Parton's seventh No. 1 country album. In the US, Pure & Simple debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 20,200 copies it was also Parton's best debut on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, entering at No. 1, surpassing 2014's Blue Smoke, which debuted at No. 2. It was also Parton's first No. 1 album on the Top Country Albums chart since 1991's Eagle When She Flies 25 years prior. Pure & Simple received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a rating out of 100 to selected independent reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 67, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews."
Mixing originals with traditional carols and modern-day standards, <i>Christmas</i> reflects Francesca Battistelli’s diverse musical influences and her fervent Christian faith. The rhythmic energy and optimistic attitude that have typified her work are present here, along with a feel for traditional music modes not heard on her previous releases. Supported by Ian Eskelin’s uncluttered production, Battistelli takes a jazzy tack with “Joy to the World,” captures the reverent awe within “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and lends a folk-balladeer sweetness to “What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude).” Her set list includes everything from the African-American spiritual “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” (rendered here in a live studio setting) to the ‘50s-era Bing Crosby favorite “Marshmallow World.” Battistelli ranges even wider on her self-composed tunes, delivering a dose of good cheer in “Christmas Is,” surveying the season's ordinary miracles in “Heaven Everywhere,” and offering the vivid nativity ballad “You’re Here.” A polished, heartfelt set.
