It's been a few years since Dianna Corcoran lived in Australia but I guess we can still call her an 'Australian country music artist'. Listening to her new album, In America, brought back fond memories of seeing her performing in various locations, and especially of the first time I heard her sing. The first time I heard that voice. Live, Corcoran's voice is a pure instrument; she is a soprano with incredible range. Recordings never really do justice to such a voice, but In America is a good facsimile.
As the album's title hints, the lyrical content of the songs has some reference to the United States – 'Blame Carolina', 'When These Wheels Hit Tennessee' and 'Feels Like Hollywood' being the obvious examples. Other songs cover the highs and lows of love – 'God Did Good' has been in Corcoran's repertoire for a while, and 'Thank You for Cheating on Me' suggests that she's a woman who is able to see the bright side in any situation. And, overall, this is an upbeat album – it is a country-pop production that is certainly not for those who like their country music swampy.
While it seems as though Corcoran has travelled on a bit from her roots, this album also seems to fit the destiny of her voice: she has five octaves to work with and they deserve a big stage. In this age of Youtube breakthroughs and stringently organised radio playlists, it is smart business – not cynicism – for an artist to create an album that is something she can believe in and that's more likely to get her heard than singing about the Australian bush. In other words: if I was hoping for a different album, that's because of my own expectations. Corcoran has delivered an album that showcases her considerable talents and, hopefully, it will get her that bigger stage.
In America (Krian Music Group) is available now.
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