AMG Review of Innocent Years

Maria Konicki Dinoia
All Music Guide

A brisk song with tempo and lyrical substance, "Trouble With Angels" is one of only two songs on this 11th studio release from Mattea that isn't a ballad. Written and recorded during a time when she was facing the declining health of her father, much of the music on The Innocent Years is about the tender mercies of life: love, family relationships, faith in God, perseverance, commitment, and growing old. Most notably poignant is "That's the Deal," a tribute to her father and the health struggles he's recently faced. The album gets high marks for vocal collaborations with the likes of Suzy Bogguss, Alison Krauss, and pop singer Graham Nash. And the album's bonus track, "BFD," a crowd favorite in her live shows, ends the album on a playful note.