The Victoria raised, Nashville based songwriter draws a lot from the well of Lucinda Williams, but there is more. She was born in the wrong era, with a CD full of songs heavily influenced by Appalachian folk music right out of the ’30s.
So there is an array of banjo, guitar, dobro, fiddle and harmonica giving the CD the essence of being recorded on the porch in a sweltering summer night way down south.
Her lyrics are world wearied and thought provoking poetry, many co-written with husband and poet James Whitmire. She has an appealing quavering voice as she sing “ I’ll wear my scars like a well-worn dance floor,” which really sums up the feel of the CD. She has some heavy hitting guests on the CD including Gurf Morlix on a couple tracks, the Soujourners adding backup vocals and Ray Bonneville adding a guitar solo on one of the CDs highlight “ Three Midnights.”
“Gepetto’s Boy,” is my favourite track. There is just something about that banjo lick and jaw harp I like as well as kind of a mid eastern feel that apes her vocal melody.
She also sings a cool version if Hank Williams Sr.’s “Ramblin Man and manages to catch the yodel in his voice.
She puts her own unique twist on a variety of subjects from old nursery rhymes to criminals.
The Sojourners sing some gospel tinged back up vocals to end the CD with “ Be Your Own Light.”
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
CD: Rough Edges and Ragged HeartsArtist: Linda McRae
Genre: Folk
