Here for the Party

1	Here for the Party
2	Redneck Woman
3	When I Think About Cheatin'
4	Homewrecker
5	Holdin' You
6	Chariot
7	What Happened
8	When It Rains
9	The Bed
10	Pocahontas Proud

Barnes & Noble

Gretchen Wilson opens her debut album asserting, "I'm an eight ball shooting double fisted/drinking son of a gun," on the title track, and follows it up with the boisterous hit single "Redneck Woman," which begins, "I ain't never been the Barbie doll type." The music behind her is razor-edged and rowdy southern rock beholden to Skynyrd, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Hank Jr. Singing with a bluesy edge that recalls both Tanya Tucker and Natalie Maines, Wilson is a dynamic presence on disc. But while this gal may enjoy partying with her friends, there's depth in her soul. In the lovely country ballad "When I Think About Cheatin'," defined by its weeping pedal steel, she reconsiders infidelity when she realizes it would cost her the man she loves; as cheatin' songs go, this is progress. "Holdin' You," a provocative ballad in Dixie Chicks country-rock style, finds her emoting full throttle à la Ms. Maines in expressing devotion to the man who keeps her grounded. "What Happened," an acoustic-based reflection on a breakup's aftermath, allows Wilson to show off an impressive, nuanced approach to a melancholy lyric, her restraint making her sorrow palpable. And what better way to forget all these troubles than to drown them in drink? "When It Rains," which Wilson co-wrote, is an infectious honky-tonk swinger in the classic style, and she gives it her best twangy reading. "Redneck Woman" may be a career song, but the tracks around it, and Wilson's 3-D personality -- which unabashedly embraces both hedonism and romanticism -- make the onset of her artistic journey a most compelling event indeed. David McGee

All Music Guide

Taking its cues from her hit single "Redneck Woman," Here for the Party's opening title track introduces Gretchen Wilson in no uncertain terms. "I'm here for the beer and the ball-bustin' band," she sings over its emphatic kick drum beat and barroom twang. "I may not be a ten, but the boys say I clean up good." The vocalist's brassy delivery -- not to mention her brazen honesty -- differs considerably from the songbirds that often surround her on country radio in 2004. In fact, she's closer to the leather pants and poppy honky tonk of Tanya Tucker's 1978 effort T.N.T. Tucker is referenced in the aforementioned "Redneck Woman," as are Hank Williams, Jr. and Kid Rock, who also seem like primary sources for Wilson's mix of traditional country, pop accessibility, and uncut rock & roll attitude. Though she happily belts out the harder edges of "Homewrecker" and the hometown tribute "Pocahontas Proud," Wilson is also convincing on the ballad "When I Think About Cheatin'," and the softer tones of "What Happened." These tracks give Party some welcome depth, playing off its more rowdy material nicely and proving that Wilson isn't just a loudmouth novelty. Sure, that mud on her jeans in the back cover photo is real. But so is the sentiment in "Holdin' You," when she declares that "Holdin' you/Holds me together." Gretchen Wilson may be a redneck woman, but she has a heart of gold. Johnny Loftus

Rolling Stone

There isn't a wasted song on Here for the Party. Jon Caramanica