"With 'Take It Like a Man', Shires has given herself all the space she needs to blaze new trails, and it's a bold and compelling new beginning for her. Working with producer Lawrence Rothman, Shires has thrown off nearly all of her country influences, outside of the Dolly Parton-like quaver of her voice (which she's rarely used to better effect), and as a singer and tunesmith, this finds her taking chances and stepping up her game ... Amanda Shires' previous work, on her own and as a collaborator, has long proved she is a major talent, and with Take It Like A Man, she's made a striking, deeply satisfying album that follows no rules other than what her muse has chosen, and it's inarguably her finest work to date".