As beautiful as any rose, maybe more

Van Lear Rose

Loretta Lynn

Interscope Records

… Van Lear Rose

Loretta Lynn

Interscope Records

From the first plaintive guitar strokes of the title track of Loretta Lynn’s new album Van Lear Rose, you know this is no Shania Twain country record. Lynn, one of the most influential female country singer/songwriters ever, is back with a new record — and has found a new producer and arranger: The White Stripes’ Jack White.

It may sound like a bizarre combination. The Queen of Country and a garage rocker? But the result is an album that sounds like nothing the country music scene has heard in years.

Loretta Lynn began singing and playing music in the early 1960s. Throughout her career, she fashioned her style out of the influence of Patsy Cline and her own grit and twang. Hits like “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man)” and “The Pill” gained her the reputation as a songwriter who wrote the songs of strong women.

Van Lear Rose is no exception. All 13 tracks are self-penned, and Lynn’s narrative tone is powerful. In “Women’s Prison,” she sings, “The judge says I’m guilty/ My sentence is to die/ I know I’ve been forgiven/ But the price of love is high” over a simple snare drum beat and twangy guitar slide. Then the band joins in, emphasizing her confidence in her words. And in “Family Tree,” one of the most stereotypically country-sounding tracks on the record, Lynn tells of a woman taking her children to the house of the “woman that’s burning down/ Our family tree.”

Lynn’s vocals on this album are full and controlled. Her voice sounds experienced and well-worn. It is used well to convey the emotions she writes about in her songs.

Jack White’s role on this album is evident in the grinding guitars and lengthy solos. The relationship between White and Lynn developed after he dedicated The White Stripes’ 2002 release White Blood Cells to Lynn. Since then, they have played shows together. When White heard Lynn was planning to make a new album, he volunteered to produce it.

This album combines the best of country and the best of rock ‘n’ roll. Listen for highlights such as “Portland Oregon,” the duet between Lynn and White, and “Have Mercy,” Lynn’s song for her friend Elvis Presley.