Album Review: Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

I'm pretty sure that the world of country music is a little scared of Yoakam and his hillbilly roots. Once again he goes against the grain to record an album that only touches upon country, instead of using it as a commercial chart vehicle. Three Pears is a mixture of genres that all flirt with his wonderful Texan drawl. Yoakam is a class act in the same way artists like Lyall Lovett and Shaun Colvin, and the unpredictable nature of his albums only nurtures his enigma in the music scene.
Starting with a thumping soul bass line, Take A Hold Of My Hand is a straightahead introduction to the album. The song is smooth and more pop than expected. Waterfall is a moody and strange piece of work that best showcases Yoakam's quirks. There is very little country attitude on this track apart from his crooning vocal.
There is an emotionally sad side to this album that adds depth to the boot-scootin' guitars and drums. Yoakham knows how to impress on his ballads. On It's Never Alright, the piano underpins a broken heart and a tale of breakup that the listener can easily relate too. The cowpunk comes out on A Heart Like Mine, which is a gritty rocker produced by Beck, one of the coolest people from the other side of the fence of country music. You get the feeling that Yoakham would like to spend more time working with artists he admires and continue to break free of country music's confines.