Both Sides of Dolly Parton

Both Sides of Dolly Parton serves as a definitive sonic map of an artist in transition.

It captures the exact moment where the dirt of the Smoky Mountains began to be dusted over with the glitter of Nashville's pop aspirations. The album is split between two distinct energies: the raw, narrative-driven folk of her early career and the sophisticated, orchestral country-pop that made her a global icon.

You can hear the wood-smoke in her voice on the traditional-leaning tracks, which is then mirrored by the expensive, velvet-lined production of her mid-70s hits. It is an album of deep contrasts, where a simple banjo pluck can exist alongside a sweeping violin section.