Music Review: Dolly Parton - Pure & Simple

Now 70, Dolly is unstoppable. The country music icon, currently on a 60-date tour, is celebrating her 50^th year in show business as well as her 50^th wedding anniversary. She’s in the midst of a four-movie deal with NBC, working on a sequel to the acclaimed Dolly-inspired Coat of Many Colors TV movie. Dolly’s 43^rd studio album is a testament to her marriage to retired businessman Carl Thomas Dean. “All the songs I’ve written [for it] are love songs because I’m celebrating 50 years with my husband this year,” says Dolly. “So I thought it would be a good time to do an album of love songs.” The album lives up to its name, with stripped-down acoustic accompaniment to Dolly’s crisp, heartfelt lyrics. On the title track she pays tribute to enduring love, while “I’m Sixteen” is a playful take on youthful passion. Dolly sounds positively energized on all 10 tracks—proof of the power of pure romance.