Released three years after
Kenny Rogers
' passing in 2020,
Life Is Like a Song
consists of material he recorded between 2008 and 2011 -- a span of time also roughly covered the recordings that comprised
You Can't Make Old Friends
, the slick and splashy 2013 affair that was his first high-profile studio album in eons. Unlike that record,
is fairly understated.
Dolly Parton
is the only superstar guest --
Jamie O'Neal
and
Kim Keyes
both contribute accomplished duets -- and the songs favor sentimentality so strongly, the record concludes with
Lionel Richie
's "Goodbye" serving as a slightly cornball farewell. Then again, one of
Rogers
' specialties was delivering corny material in a convincingly honeyed murmur and so it is here as he sings songs of love with a warm, gentle touch. If the songs veer toward somnolence, that doesn't necessarily detract from the album's mellow charm. It finds
in good voice and spirits, which is enough to be a nice little epilogue to a career filled with songs as soft, slow, and comforting as these. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine