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Elly Roberts reviews
Rough Trade
- Cat.no: RTRADCD291
- Released: January 2006
- Rating: 10/10
If the UK wasn’t obsessed with the likes of Katie Melua and Norah Jones, they’d find an equally deserving name to add to its playlist.
Jumping out ofa reasonably successful band all be it temporarily (I think), in just 12months on the scene, Jenny Lewis is taking a big gamble. On the back of abrilliant debut album,More Adventurous,Rilo Kiley’s magnificent songbirdJenny Lewis goes solo and reveals another side to her blossoming writingskills with yet another debut album Rabbit Fur Coat.
If you’re sufferingwith winter blues, then this is just the tonic, though there are somemelancholic moments – tracks 1 and 4, in particular. Lewis and Kentucky’sblue-eyed soul sisters, The Watson Twins bring some much needed Californiansunshine into our lives. Fitting into the new sub-genre of ‘Americana’,Folk, Alternative Folk/Rock, this collection of 11 originals and one coverdeserves considerable attention. Rilo Kiley bust onto the scene last January:12 months on she’s creating another stir with low-key dates in the UK insupport of RFC, with bigger shows scheduled in the Spring.
For now, we’re given a taste of her new venture, a delicious collectionwhere vocal harmony is top priority, aided by the sweet-voiced Watson Twins- when Americans do vocal harmony they’re the best in the world – remembertheir tradition through The Beach Boys and the Eagles? Shades of the CarterFamily’s soundscapes (O Brother Where Art Though) open-up with Run DevilRun. Other, hinted influences (Righteous Bros) arise on Born Secular.
Instrumentally, there are splashes of banjo, acoustic guitar and pedalsteel, organ and some good old fashion stompers – e.g. Big Guns.
Encouraged by new star Connor Oberst who is Bright Eyes (who also guests onthe feisty Traveling Wilburys’ Handle With Care) Lewis is determined not tobe typecast or considered a ‘one hit wonder’.
For a first time effort, she’s established a potential new career withserious credibility, surely nudged along by Oberst’s attention to detail. Inreality, Lewis could go either way, should she chose to do so.
‘Americana’ is gradually seeping into the British psyche via the likes ofRufus Wainwright, Bright Eyes, Willy Mason and Ben Lee. She’s now added tothe list.
Weblink:myspace.com/Lewis With Watsons
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Run Devil Run
2. Big Guns
3. Rise Up With Fists!
4. Happy
5. The Charging Sky
6. Melt Your Heart
7. You Are What You Love
8. Rabbit Fur Coat
9. Handle With Care
10. Born Secular
11. It Wasn’t Me
12. Happy (Reprise)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.