Trying to Be Me is the only album by American country music singer Laura Bryna . It was released on January 22, 2008 via Equity Music Group . "Make a Wish", "Life Is Good" and "Hometown Heroes" were all released as singles.
Trying to Be Me Released January 22, 2008 (2008-01-22 ) Studio
Sony/Tree Studios, OmniSound Studios, Quad Studios , The Compound, Loud Recording, Blackbird Studios, 1808 Studios, The Insanery and Vibe 56 (Nashville, Tennessee)
Sound Kitchen (Franklin, Tennessee)
Genre Country Label Equity Music Group Producer
Country Weekly gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of five, praising Bryna's voice but criticizing the album for containing "some of the most over-the-top tear-jerkers in recent memory."[ 1] Jacquilynne Schlesier of Country Standard Time similarly said that Bryna had "lots of character in the phrasing", but said "most of the lyrics sound like songs you've heard before."[ 2] PopMatters also criticized the album for "play[ing] a variety of obvious cards in her pursuit of country or pop audiences."[ 3]
Title Writer(s) 1. "Life Is Good" Billy Crain, Tammy Hyler, Liz Rose 3:32 2. "Maybe She Fell" Pat Bunch , Georgia Middleman 4:15 3. "Set It on Fire" Tony Mullins , Danny Wells3:36 4. "Room 228" Victoria Banks 3:08 5. "Same Dog" Jennifer Hanson , Mark Nesler , Tony Martin 3:06 6. "Make a Wish" Laura Bryna, Jeff Batson, Roger Sarchet, Steven J. Williams 3:31 7. "Out the Window" Marv Green , Chris Lindsey , Hillary Lindsey , Aimee Mayo 3:21 8. "640 Battlefield Dr." Bonnie Baker, Connie Harrington 4:13 9. "According to the Radio" Monty Powell , Keith Urban 4:08 10. "She Can't Save Him" Sherrié Austin , Will Rambeaux, Steven J. Williams4:20 11. "No Man's Land" Kaci Bolls, Marty Dodson, Liz Hengber 3:01 12. "Smoke from a Bridge You Burned" Skip Ewing , Donny Kees 3:46
Bonus track Title Writer(s) 13. "I Don't Have a Thing to Wear" Monty Holmes , Monty Criswell3:40
Laura Bryna – lead vocals
Tony Harrell – keyboards
John Hobbs – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
John Barlow Jarvis – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
Bob Patin – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
Mike Rojas – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
Catherine Styron-Marx – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
Bryan Austin – electric guitars
Jeff King – electric guitars
Brent Mason – electric guitars
Dan Dugmore – electric guitars, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar
Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar
Kerry Marx – acoustic guitar
Michael Noble – acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar
Billy Panda – acoustic guitar, mandolin
Mike Severs – acoustic guitar
Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, banjo , mandolin
Sonny Garrish – dobro , steel guitar
Mike Douchette – steel guitar
Mike Johnson – steel guitar
Zach Runquist – mandolin, cello, violin
David Hungate – bass guitar
Alison Prestwood – bass guitar
Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
Eddie Bayers – drums
Paul Leim – drums, percussion
Greg Morrow – drums
Casey Wood – chimes , cymbals , shaker , tambourine , timpani , gongs
Kirk "JellyRoll" Johnson – harmonica (5, 11)
Larry Franklin – fiddle
Andrea Zonn – fiddle (2, 12)
Larry Hall – strings
Bekka Bramlett – backing vocals
Lisa Cochran – backing vocals
Perry Coleman – backing vocals
Thom Flora – backing vocals
Tania Hancheroff – backing vocals
Wes Hightower – backing vocals
Gale Mayes West – backing vocals
Kim Parent – backing vocals
Angela Primm – backing vocals
Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals
Russell Terrell – backing vocals
Roger Sarchet – producer, management
Kyle Lehning – producer (3, 6, 8, 9, 13), mixing
Pat McMackin – recording, additional mixing
Casey Wood – recording, overdub recording (3, 13), additional engineer (6, 8, 9)
Jason Lehning – engineer (6, 8, 9)
Adam Engelhardt – recording assistant, mix assistant
Paul Hart – recording assistant, mix assistant
Matt Coles – recording assistant (3, 13)
Lowell Reynolds – assistant engineer (6)
Eric Tonkin – additional vocal engineer and editing
Doug Sax – mastering
Sangwook Nam – mastering
The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
Lorna Leighton – art direction, design
flytedesign.com – art direction, design
Dana Tynan – photography
Felix Fischer – hair stylist
John Stapleton – make-up
WRPG Management, Inc. – management