Featured Article Summary #115

This Side of the Moon is Elizabeth Cook’s third studio album, released on May 17, 2005. She made it after difficulties with Warner Bros. Records, where her earlier album Hey Y’all had been poorly promoted and she eventually left the label in 2003. Drawing on her experience, she wrote songs for the album about love and heartbreak, recorded with help from five producers across eight studios in Tennessee. Cook worked with songwriter Hardie McGehee on most tracks, and critics often compared her singing style to artists like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. The album first had a limited release in 2004, then became more widely available the next year, supported by live shows at places like the Grand Ole Opry. Although it did not get much radio airplay and she even worked as a waitress afterward, reviews were mostly positive, and later writers said the album helped strengthen her career. Elizabeth Cook signed with Atlantic after positive reviews for her debut album, but problems at the label delayed her follow-up, Hey Y’all, and left it without much country radio support. After moving on from Warner Bros. in 2003, she built This Side of the Moon from separate “song experiments,” recording tracks across eight studios in Tennessee with several producers and Jeff Gordon as executive producer and mastering. The album was driven by her frustration and “divorce from Music Row,” with Cook co-writing most songs with Hardie McGehee, before later writing more by herself. This Side of the Moon is a 13-track album that critics describe as “hard-edged,” old-fashioned country with simple, demo-like arrangements, mixing retro influences and a range of styles from slow ballads to upbeat songs. Reviewers also praised Hayes Cook’s singing, often comparing her voice to Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, noting its clear, high quality and distinctive “twang,” as well as her sincere, relaxed way of delivering lyrics. Across This Side of the Moon, Cook writes about love, heartbreak, and the difficult work of relationships, using songs to warn a partner, reflect on career disappointments, and consider what sacrifices love may require. She also includes a war-themed love song, “Heather Are You With Me Tonight,” about a soldier’s loneliness and moral struggle during the Iraq invasion, asking whether war and love can truly coexist. This Side of the Moon came out in a limited release in August 2004, described by the media as independent. Hog Country Production then gave it a wider release as an audio CD on May 17, 2005, with later promotion through live shows, festival appearances, and eventually streaming services. The music video for “Before I Go That Far” was recorded in New Mexico in 2005 and later posted on YouTube by Thirty Tigers in 2007, after which the album was licensed to the Orchard Music for distribution. Despite low radio airplay and limited commercial success, Cook built a small cult fanbase and even worked as a waitress for income before fully focusing on performing, later describing peace about her experiences with record deals.