Amanda Shires
planned to include a version of "Always on My Mind," a song popularized by
Willie Nelson
, on her 2022 album
Take It Like a Man
, going so far as to invite
Willie
's sister
Bobbie
to play on the track. Once
Shires
and
Bobbie Nelson
shared studio space, they got to know each other by playing a few classic country covers. By the end of the day, they decided to cut an entire album together, knocking out
Loving You
quickly, but it sat on the shelf as
received its promotional cycle in 2022. By the time
appeared in June 2023,
had been dead for a year, turning this unassuming lark of an album into an affectionate farewell to a country music legend. Although a handful of tracks have received some sweetening -- there are strings, plus a
vocal on "Summertime" -- the vibe on
is strikingly intimate; even when a rhythm section is involved, it doesn't feel like there are any other musicians in the studio besides
Nelson
. The stripped-down surroundings shift the focus to
's lyrical playing; heard outside of her brother's
Family
band, it's easy to hear the elegance she brought to the group. Whether she's singing or playing violin,
has a relaxed, natural rapport with
that gives
a genuine sense of warmth: this wasn't intended as a tribute or a goodbye, it was merely a relaxed session between two kindred spirits and its inherent modesty makes it quite satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine