Experienced alone or in tandem with her brave book of the same title, Tara Leigh Cobble's "Here's to Hindsight" will win you over with its impeccably-crafted life songs.
“Here’s to Hindsight” is Cobble’s fourth full-length CD, the first to appear concurrently with a book, her “Here’s to Hindsight: Letters to My Former Self,” released by Relevant Books. Both projects tie together beautifully, covering the personal (spiritual and relational) journey of Cobble’s life. Brave and beautiful in tone, immaculate in execution.
Tara Leigh Cobble has assembled all my favorite Nashville players, and their contributions impact “Here’s to Hindsight” greatly, from co-writing to their sonic presence. Ben Shive’s addition to any album is significant, from the tiny touches of his bells on the lovingly produced “Day Before Damascus,” to his quiet Wurlitzer supporting the title track. Andrew Osenga’s nicely muted electric guitar on the same track still makes his presence felt in a big way, and as always, David Henry’s cello stands out, achingly so on “It Won’t Be You.”
But it is Cobble’s brilliance that shines through strongly on “Here’s to Hindsight,” most clearly through her piercingly descriptive lyrics. She nails the human condition on “Somehow Stay” with lines like: "This doesn’t feel like home at all/ Like all of Eden’s lost and gone/ And I’ve tried rebuilding Paradise/ But I’m worn and weary from the fall.” Having read her wonderful book, I have a frame of reference to understand the exquisite agony of “It Won’t Be You,” but if I’d never read the book, its lyrics would fully inform me on the source of her pain: “My love for you is packed up in a suitcase/ That I had to sit on to close.” Oh yeah, who can’t relate exactly to that particular grief? The sweetness of the song’s sorrow is only enhanced by the delicious harmonies.
Cobble’s vocals move from low and emotive (expressing the trepidation of early attraction powerfully in opener “The Night Sky”), to warm and earthy (covering Toad the Wet Sprocket’s melodic gem, “All I Want”), to airy and free on the lovely closer, “O Beautiful,” an ode to her beloved New York City. She covers relationship woes and straight-up worship in a variety of formats, but I may have enjoyed her most when she went into rock mode on “Making All the Good Come True,” an electric guitar weaving in and out of the melody line. Cobble manages to convey a hopeful exuberance at every turn, even through moments of anxiousness (“The Night Sky” and “Somehow Stay”). But that is the same raw gutsiness I found so appealing in her book. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of “Here’s to Hindsight.” If you really want to treat yourself, make it a double and read her book too. Both are available on her website.
