Login
This album is a little bit older-- 2003-- which isn't very contemporary, which is more like 2005 or 2006 at least by this point, I think. (*Actually, it seems I have the 2004 re-release, but, you know what I mean.) Not that that means there's nothing there, just because it's not either classic, or from these last two or three years, I guess, that we've had. Although it's funny, (even though comparing the ages of girls is impolite), Taylor Swift is my age, and Jessica Simpson is my older brother's age. And I guess that means something, with a girl who's a singer. But anyway, she was 23 at the time, and probably at the height of her powers.
"In This Skin" received the common fate of the popular thing-- to sell well and at the same time, to be bashed by the almost vindictive snobbery of the critics. (And this was a few years ago, even, before "Twilight" even existed to be made fun of.) In that sense it's similar to Adam Sandler's films, which are widely seen and enjoyed, but which are basically just not serious-- or dark-- enough to get good reviews from writers who take themselves so seriously. (Although it is true that Adam Sandler and Jessica Simpson happen to differ in respect of their faith.) Or, better yet, it's like the sort of films that Jessica Simpson herself has been in, such as "Employee of the Month" (2006), which I saw and enjoyed, in which she plays the part of a working man's muse, basically.
Like I said, comparisons can be impolite, but it's interesting how difficult to assign labels like "pop" and "country" can be when looking at actual individual people like Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift. Sometimes it really is the individual that you have to look at, or at least what type of personality they have, rather than more abstract categories. Jessica Simpson, the "pop" girl, has a country girl's personality, complete with the religious (Christian) faith and the general contentment with her lot in life and the men who support her-- that's how she comes across to me. Taylor Swift is the "country" girl, and she certainly has a 'natural' look to her, unlike the pop girl Katy Perry, who cultivates the air of an oddball cosmopolitan who is always dying her hair different colors. But in some ways, Swift is more "pop" and mainstream than Simpson-- she relies more on the good old (secular? or pagan? or something!) princess model, rather than the religion of churches, generally speaking; she also writes her own songs, with her girlfriend's help when she wants it, and tries to make the modern girl seem clean and happy, while at the same time dealing with and trying to reconcile modern anxiety-- especially about women-- with the idea of the blissfully happy princess that she wants so much to embody. Swift is newer and more confused-- the incurably nice and compassionate girl who writes songs like "Mean" without wanting to sound bitter or unkind. Simpson, for a better or for worse, is a little older and a little simpler.... Swift comes across as the girl from New Jersey who moves to Nashville and makes a friend from Texas-- she's actually from Pennsylvania, but she's performed with the Jonas Brothers, who actually are from Jersey-- whereas Simpson actually just is from Texas, and sorta sounds like it, too.
Anyway, the music itself is good-- soothing to listen, relaxing. Although "Sweetest Sin" was apparently the single, there aren't really any songs that stand out-- she doesn't have that same pop or party flavor as Swift with "Love Story" or "You Belong with Me" or "Mean" or We are never getting back together" or "I knew you were trouble", but Simpson also avoids having some of the anxiety that goes along with having so much energy. In a sense it's not a very distinguished album, but that doesn't mean that it can't be pleasant to listen to.
(8/10)
