Trying to Be Me
2008 studio album by Laura Bryna
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Trying to Be Me is the only album by American country music singer Laura Bryna. It was released on January 22, 2008 via Equity Music Group. "Make a Wish", "Life Is Good" and "Hometown Heroes" were all released as singles.
ReleasedJanuary 22, 2008
Studio
- Sony/Tree Studios, OmniSound Studios, Quad Studios, The Compound, Loud Recording, Blackbird Studios, 1808 Studios, The Insanery and Vibe 56 (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Sound Kitchen (Franklin, Tennessee)
GenreCountry
| Trying to Be Me | |
|---|---|
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| Studio album by | |
| Released | January 22, 2008 |
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country |
| Label | Equity Music Group |
| Producer |
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Critical reception
Country Weekly gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of five, praising Bryna's voice but criticizing the album for containing "some of the most over-the-top tear-jerkers in recent memory."[1] Jacquilynne Schlesier of Country Standard Time similarly said that Bryna had "lots of character in the phrasing", but said "most of the lyrics sound like songs you've heard before."[2] PopMatters also criticized the album for "play[ing] a variety of obvious cards in her pursuit of country or pop audiences."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Life Is Good" | Billy Crain, Tammy Hyler, Liz Rose | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Maybe She Fell" | Pat Bunch, Georgia Middleman | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Set It on Fire" | Tony Mullins, Danny Wells | 3:36 |
| 4. | "Room 228" | Victoria Banks | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Same Dog" | Jennifer Hanson, Mark Nesler, Tony Martin | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Make a Wish" | Laura Bryna, Jeff Batson, Roger Sarchet, Steven J. Williams | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Out the Window" | Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Hillary Lindsey, Aimee Mayo | 3:21 |
| 8. | "640 Battlefield Dr." | Bonnie Baker, Connie Harrington | 4:13 |
| 9. | "According to the Radio" | Monty Powell, Keith Urban | 4:08 |
| 10. | "She Can't Save Him" | Sherrié Austin, Will Rambeaux, Steven J. Williams | 4:20 |
| 11. | "No Man's Land" | Kaci Bolls, Marty Dodson, Liz Hengber | 3:01 |
| 12. | "Smoke from a Bridge You Burned" | Skip Ewing, Donny Kees | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "I Don't Have a Thing to Wear" | Monty Holmes, Monty Criswell | 3:40 |
Personnel
- Laura Bryna – lead vocals
- Tony Harrell – keyboards
- John Hobbs – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
- John Barlow Jarvis – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
- Bob Patin – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
- Mike Rojas – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
- Catherine Styron-Marx – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
- Bryan Austin – electric guitars
- Jeff King – electric guitars
- Brent Mason – electric guitars
- Dan Dugmore – electric guitars, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar
- Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar
- Kerry Marx – acoustic guitar
- Michael Noble – acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar
- Billy Panda – acoustic guitar, mandolin
- Mike Severs – acoustic guitar
- Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, banjo, mandolin
- Sonny Garrish – dobro, steel guitar
- Mike Douchette – steel guitar
- Mike Johnson – steel guitar
- Zach Runquist – mandolin, cello, violin
- David Hungate – bass guitar
- Alison Prestwood – bass guitar
- Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
- Eddie Bayers – drums
- Paul Leim – drums, percussion
- Greg Morrow – drums
- Casey Wood – chimes, cymbals, shaker, tambourine, timpani, gongs
- Kirk "JellyRoll" Johnson – harmonica (5, 11)
- Larry Franklin – fiddle
- Andrea Zonn – fiddle (2, 12)
- Larry Hall – strings
- Bekka Bramlett – backing vocals
- Lisa Cochran – backing vocals
- Perry Coleman – backing vocals
- Thom Flora – backing vocals
- Tania Hancheroff – backing vocals
- Wes Hightower – backing vocals
- Gale Mayes West – backing vocals
- Kim Parent – backing vocals
- Angela Primm – backing vocals
- Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals
- Russell Terrell – backing vocals
Production
- Roger Sarchet – producer, management
- Kyle Lehning – producer (3, 6, 8, 9, 13), mixing
- Pat McMackin – recording, additional mixing
- Casey Wood – recording, overdub recording (3, 13), additional engineer (6, 8, 9)
- Jason Lehning – engineer (6, 8, 9)
- Adam Engelhardt – recording assistant, mix assistant
- Paul Hart – recording assistant, mix assistant
- Matt Coles – recording assistant (3, 13)
- Lowell Reynolds – assistant engineer (6)
- Eric Tonkin – additional vocal engineer and editing
- Doug Sax – mastering
- Sangwook Nam – mastering
- The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
- Lorna Leighton – art direction, design
- flytedesign.com – art direction, design
- Dana Tynan – photography
- Felix Fischer – hair stylist
- John Stapleton – make-up
- WRPG Management, Inc. – management