CD review: Lady Antebellum “Own the Night”

From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.

Country

Lady Antebellum “Own the Night” (Capitol Records)

While Lady Antebellum hardly experienced a sophomore slump, the contemporary country threesome shows marked growth and maturity on its third album, “Own the Night.”

Co-lead singers Charles Kelly and Hillary Scott and multi-instrumentalist/harmony vocalist Dave Haywood won five Grammy Awards this year on the strength of their second LP, “Need You Now,” one of the top-selling albums of 2010. But the trio’s sophomore effort didn’t boast the most memorable songs — with the notable exceptions of the unavoidable monster-hit title track and the super-sweet single “American Honey” — and from that standpoint seemed a step back from the group’s substantial self-titled 2008 debut.

Judging from their long list of songwriting credits — including co-writes for Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Sara Evans — Kelley, Scott and Haywood have been focused on honing their songsmithing skills. Their hard work pays off on “Own the Night,” a more compelling collection of songs exploring love lost and found, fresh and aged.