Smith's first release in a decade

Today, venerated country singer Connie Smith announces her highly anticipated 54th album The Cry of the Heart, out August 20th (Fat Possum). On the release, the Country Music Hall of Fame legend is at her absolute finest, affirming Merle Haggard’s declaration about Smith when he said, “If you’re talking about a country singer, there ain’t nobody better.” The first offering is “Look Out Heart,” written by Marty Stuart and longtime Fabulous Superlative drummer Harry Stinson. Listen/pre-order here.

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

Pain and heartbreak have permeated Smith’s timeless country sound and they pulse through The Cry of the Heart, Smith’s first album in a decade, and her third collaboration with her husband Stuart (who also produces the effort). Smith asks, “How many teardrops have I cried over you” on album opener “A Million and One,” reintroducing listeners to her radiant, textured voice. Smith and Stuart contributed two original tracks written together as well, the soaring “Here Comes My Baby Back Again” and weeper “Spare Me No Truth Tonight.” Other songs on The Cry of the Heart include “I Don’t Believe Me Anymore” the 72nd song Smith has recorded written by Hall of Fame songwriter Dallas Frazier, and Merle Haggard’s “Jesus Takes a Hold,” which is a reflection of Smith’s boundless faith in the midst of troubled times. Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Carl Jackson pens “To Pieces” and “I’m Not Over You,” the latter composed with classic country singer Melba Montgomery.

“People ask me, ‘What is country music,’” says Smith. “I say, ‘To me, country music is the cry of the heart.’ We all have these experiences in our hearts and I’m trying to identify and communicate with people so they know they’re not alone.”

Smith has been consistently fanning the country music flames since her first hit single in 1964, “Once A Day” and has carried the torch ever since. In March of 2021, the Library of Congress announced that “Once a Day” was one of the 2020 selections for its National Recording Registry. “People ask me, ‘What is country music,’” says Smith. “I say, ‘To me, country music is the cry of the heart.’ We all have these experiences in our hearts and I’m trying to identify and communicate with people so they know they’re not alone.”

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