The Chicks - Gaslighter

Pitchfork 70

The trio’s first album in 14 years is a genuinely compelling new take on the punchy country sound that’s always made them stand out. But its links between the personal and the political are foggy.

The Guardian 0

(Sony)
There’s more going on here than a name change: the band’s trademark country-pop-with-attitude is fuelled by stories of rage and psychological abuse

The band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks are getting with the programme. Last month, after 30 years in the business, the Texas trio decided to drop “Dixie”, a term with racist overtones due to its connection with the antebellum south. It’s a move that coincides with the release of their first album in 14 years, a collaboration with super-producer du jour Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey) which sports a zeitgeisty title – gaslighting being a buzz word used to describe both intimate psychological abuse and world-stage political manipulation.