Laura Cantrell's debut album,
Not the Tremblin' Kind, is a mix of originals and covers by little known yet superb songwriters like
George Usher,
Joe Flood,
Amy Allison, and
the Volebeats'
Bob McCreedy -- resulting in an evocative blend of neo-traditionalist
country. As a singer,
Cantrell doesn't have the pipes of a someone like
Lucinda Williams, but, like
Merle Haggard, her clear and simple way with a tale or sentiment leaves the listener hanging on every word.
Cantrell's own
"Queen of the Coast" tells the story of a female
country singer from a bygone era who stands toward the back of a stage while her man basks in the spotlight. (Think
Bonnie Owens: The mandolin line even slyly echoes one-time husband
Haggard's signature
"I Am a Lonesome Fugitive.") The era the song nods to is also expressive of
Cantrell's sound, which is of clearly different stock than the high drama of
alt-country young lion
Neko Case or the good-natured
folkyness of predecessor
Nanci Griffith. Rather,
Cantrell's music echoes a truck-stop jukebox circa the 1950s or '60s and such woman pioneers as
Kitty Wells. Also,
Cantrell's work as a DJ at famed free-form station
WFMU allowed her to cull the finest tracks that crossed her turntable, and her ear for the right tunes to cover is clearly evident. On her heart-piercing take on
the Volebeats'
"Two Seconds," her plaintive voice is used to excellent effect, driving home the primary sentiment, "Two seconds of your love is all I need of you/two seconds of your time, that's enough to say we're through/two beats of your heart is enough to know we'll never part." Another great cover is
Amy Allison's
"Whiskey Makes You Sweeter," which
Cantrell delivers with the poise of a woman who won't make the same mistake twice -- rather than the sloppy, temporary regret the song might suggest. Solid production by
World Famous Blue Jays member
Jay Sherman-Godfrey and strong musicianship make this first-class, enduring
Americana -- with one foot in the past and an eye towards the future. ~ Erik Hage
