What a Song Can Do
What a Song Can Do is the ninth studio album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2021, through Big Machine Records. The album includes the single "Like a Lady" and thirteen other tracks. It is also the first new album released under the name Lady A and second after the deluxe edition of Ocean in 2020.
Background
Prior to the album's release, the band issued the extended play What a Song Can Do (Chapter One), containing tracks from the album. This extended play contains seven songs, and the album contains seven more. Thirteen of the project's fourteen songs were co-written by at least one member of the band; Dave Haywood wrote "Workin' on This Love" by himself and even sings lead vocals on it, making this the first and so far only album to feature a solo from him. The track "Friends Don't Let Friends" features guest vocals from Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Darius Rucker. Dann Huff is the album's producer.Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that "The 14 songs never deviate from the middle of the road, a path they follow with the urgency of a Sunday afternoon drive they give the arrangements enough room to be breezy and help keep the melody in the forefront -- tricks that make for a very pleasant listen, even if it is quite a familiar one."Personnel
Adapted from liner notes.Lady A
- Dave Haywood – vocals, acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, percussion, resonator guitar, strings, synthesizer, tambourine, bar noise
- Charles Kelley – vocals
- Hillary Scott – vocals
Additional musicians
- Roy Agee – trombone, bass trombone
- David Angell – violin
- Monisa Angell – viola
- Kevin Bate – cello
- Jenny Bifano – violin
- Tom Bukovac – electric guitar
- Julian Bunetta – programming
- Vinnie Ciesielski – flugelhorn, trumpet, horn arrangements
- Dave Cohen – B-3 organ, keyboards, piano, programming, synthesizer, synth bass
- David Davidson – violin
- Stuart Duncan – fiddle
- Justin Ebach – electric guitar, programming, synthesizer, synth bass
- Sam Ellis – programming
- Alicia Engstrom – violin
- Shannon Forrest – drums, percussion
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Jesse Frasure – programming
- Chris Gelbuda – electric guitar
- Austin Hoke – cello
- Dann Huff – bouzouki, Dobro, Dobro solo, electric guitar, electric guitar solo, high-string acoustic guitar, programming, synthesizer, synth bass
- David Huff – programming, synth bass
- Jun Iwasaki – violin
- Martin Johnson – electric guitar
- Charlie Judge – B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer, synth bass
- Betsy Lamb – viola
- Tony Lucido – bass guitar
- Justin Niebank – programming
- Brandon Paddock – Dobro, programming
- Carly Pearce – featured vocals
- Jordan Reynolds – programming
- Thomas Rhett – featured vocals
- Jerry Roe – drums, percussion
- Darius Rucker – featured vocals
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar
- Aaron Sterling – drums, percussion
- Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, banjo, Dobro, mandolin
- Alysa Vanderheym – synthesizer, background vocals
- Derek Wells – electric guitar, electric guitar solo
- Kris Wilkinson – string arrangements
- Karen Winkelmann – violin
Technical and visuals
- Sean Badum – recording assistance
- Drew Bollman – recording, additional mix engineering
- Sandi Spika Borchetta – art direction
- Jesse Brock – mixing assistance
- Callie Cunningham – art direction
- Nicole Flammia – art direction
- Parker Foote – graphic design
- Justin Ford – art direction
- Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordination
- Dann Huff – production
- David Huff – digital editing
- Martin Johnson – additional production
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Steve Marcantonio – strings recording
- Joel McKinney – recording assistance
- Buckley Miller – recording
- Sean Moffitt – mixing
- Joshua Sage Newman – graphic design
- Justin Niebank – mixing
- Ryan Nishimori – graphic design
- Brandon Paddock – additional production
- Chris Small – digital editing
- Hodges Usry – photography
- Kolby Vetter – art direction
- Michael Walter – recording assistance