Susan Gibson

TightRope

A songwriter’s goal is the hit, right? Then they’ll have it made: The royalties will roll in, and they can close their sets with that song the rest of their life. That doesn’t cure the songwriter’s itch or quell the muse, though. Just ask CMA Award-winner Susan Gibson, author of “Wide Open Spaces” for the Dixie Chicks. Gibson’s a pro who paid dues in the Groobees, hit the jackpot, and still sharpens her skills. “Don’t make me your Hope Diamond when I’m just a shiny stone,” she sings on “Hope Diamond,” simple and fair words of caution amid a charming melody, which is the trademark that abounds on TightRope (“Happy With Nothing,” “Passin’ Thru,” “Evergreen”). TightRope comes with a taut background, too: Gibson suffered a car accident that kept her in recovery throughout 2010. Her appreciation for life, even when couched in wry lyrics, is ever present.

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This article appears in June 3 • 2011.

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