Without a doubt, Amanda Shires would be worthy of a Best Solo Artist nod even if all she did was write, sing and play. Throughout her nearly two-decade career, Shires’ vocals have drawn comparisons to Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton; her ferocious fiddle playing has enhanced the work of the late Billy Joe Shaver, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and The Highwomen. Her songwriting, influenced by her advanced poetry studies, shines exceptionally brightly on her seventh solo album Take It Like a Man. Released in July, it’s a collection of songs that flirts with myriad genres under the big Americana tent, like old-school rock and narrative folk.
Previous bad studio experiences led Shires to conclude that she was done making albums, and a difficult time in her marriage to Isbell left her without a longtime creative partner in the early stages of what would become Take It Like a Man. Yet the new LP, aided and abetted by collaborator Lawrence Rothman, is suffused with hard-earned confidence. “Bad Behavior” is an alluring R&B-tinged track that flickers with a witchy fire not unlike what Stevie Nicks brings — I especially love the surprising “Yeah, bitch” cameo from none other than Brittney Spencer to really drive the vibe home. It’s far from easy to be as vulnerable as she is on the devastating ballad “Empty Cups,” which draws more from traditional country.
Take It Like a Man is all we need from Shires, but she gives us more. When word spread that the U.S. Supreme Court was planning on overturning Roe v. Wade, she got bolder still. On Twitter and in a June op-ed for Rolling Stone, she detailed the 2021 ectopic pregnancy that could’ve killed her had she not gotten an abortion. She also publicly questioned why more of her fellow musicians, especially country musicians in Nashville, weren’t being more vocal in the fight for reproductive rights. Even when you know you’re right, it takes a lot of guts to stand up, whether it’s in front of a microphone or in print.
