Pain and heartbreak have permeated Connie Smith’s timeless country sound and they pulse through The Cry of the Heart, Smith’s first album in a decade and her third collaboration with her husband, Marty Stuart (who also produces the effort). Smith asks” How many teardrops have I cried over you” on album opener “A Million and One,” reintroducing listeners to her radiant, textured voice. Smith and Stuart contributed two original tracks written together as well, the soaring “Here Comes My Baby Back Again” and weeper “Spare Me No Truth Tonight.” Other songs on The Cry of the Heart include “I Don’t Believe Me Anymore” the 72nd song Smith has recorded written by Hall of Fame songwriter Dallas Frazier, and Merle Haggard’s “Jesus Takes a Hold,” which is a reflection of Smith’s boundless faith in the midst of troubled times. Grammy Award- winning producer and songwriter Carl Jackson pens "To Pieces" and "I'm Not Over You," the latter composed with classic country singer Melba Montgomery.