"We're so consumed with the fear of dying, the joy of living is lost," Dolly Parton sings on Better Day’s buoyant opener, "In the Meantime." For the rest of the album, she leads by example, delivering one of the most vibrant and optimistic LPs of her career. On "The Sacrifice," she stands by her difficult choices over a rich banjo instrumental, while the sweeping ballad "Holding Everything" finds her voice reaching up to its highest register as she describes the depth of her love.