Wendy Colonna
Red
by Bonny Holder
 I recently downloaded a live musical
project featuring Austin bluesdude Guy Forsyth and Will Taylor
and his Strings Attached ensemble. A few tracks in, Forsyth
began to sing the familiar Leonard Cohen song, "Hallelujah."
"What a great version," I thought, and played it
several times in a row. And who is that woman singing with
him?
She's Wendy Lorraine Colonna, a young (25-ish) singer now
transplanted in Austin from her home country in the Lake Charles
region of Louisiana. Turns out she has a fine new CD out called
Red. I've had it in my CD player for a couple of weeks,
and each time I play it I like it more.
I try very hard in reviews not to compare a relatively unknown
singer to someone else more experienced and better known. For
example, twang goddess Toni Price is often compared to Bonnie
Raitt, but in fact Toni does not sound much like Bonnie. It
annoys me every time I see that written down. I confess that
Wendy Colonna's voice is evocative of the tone in Natalie Merchant's;
she has a smoky, almost sultry way of articulating in song.
But really, Wendy does not sound like Natalie any more than Toni
and Bonnie match up. There's just a pleasant hint of similarity.
Now that's out of the way, I'll try to convey how satisfactory
Red is. Colonna swings. You can sense the bayou here,
by way of the blues. Her songs are well crafted and often sexy.
The arrangements on this album are well played and do not detract
from the strength of her lovely voice. She is flexible and
willowy, confident and strong.
With the exception of "Coffee Today", which is a
thoughtful acoustic song, Colonna and her band rock. The first
track, "Dirty Wife," is listener-friendly and warm
despite the chilling lyrics. Guy Forsyth shows up to play harmonica
on "Wake Me" and "We All Die Alone," and
National guitar on "Something New."
All in good times, how I believed
The web would unwind, and kisses sweet
Could steal the disease from the circus of silence
And brown paper dreams could retire in their violence
Wendy Colonna is gifted beyond her years. There is a live
track on the CD titled "Judas" in which her voice twists
and turns and insinuates like a singer of much more experience.
It's awesome to contemplate her musical future, which seems
bright as the sun. "I whore around, I whore around,"
she wails. "Not for sex, for sentiments. I whore around,
I whore around, is there really any difference?"
* www.wendycolonna.com
You can contact Bonny Holder at bonny-at-rockzilla.net
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