What a Crying Shame

11 tracks featuring Raul Malo's beautiful voice. Includes PRETEND and ALL THAT HEAVEN WILL ALLOW.

A simply stunning country album. Granted, the songs here mark a disappointing retreat from the complex emotional truths and social commentary of the band's previous From Hell to Paradise, but with a sound centered around the gorgeous, soaring tenor of singer-songwriter Raul Malo, the newly simplified songs here still manage to convey rich emotional moods. With updated Ray Price shuffles, Roy Orbison-influenced country pop, a crossover cover of Bruce Springsteen's "All That Heaven Will Allow," and catchy Nashville hits like "O What a Thrill" and the title track, What a Crying Shame includes some of the finest mainstream country music of the last 25 years. --David Cantwell