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London has been aided on her first release since 1996's Can't Steal My Fire by some industry giants: Redd Volkaert (Merle Haggard) on lead guitar, Earle Pool Ball (Johnny Cash) on piano, Dale Watson on guitar, and Austin legend Herb Steiner (Asleep at the Wheel, Alvin Crow and numerous others) on steel guitar. Pete Mitchell (Ernest Tubb) produced and handled most of the rhythm guitar chores. The strongest cut on the record is Ms. London's duet with Watson on the fine shuffling country standard, "Making Believe." This is Ms. London's strongest vocal performance on the album, and Voelkaert and steel guitarist Ricky Davis know just how to augment this type of traditional country number. Voelkaert's licks on the tune are straight from the Merle Haggard school, while Davis gives the steel a Jimmy Day treatment. Watson blends in perfectly with London without stealing any of the spotlight. Voelkaert and Davis excel again on a swinging version of "That's How Much I Love You," the only other cover on the album. Ms. London and her supporting cast shine on London's "Swear." Mitchell's lead guitar keeps it country while Ball lays in some piano reminiscent of the piano backing on Bo Diddley records. Davis's steel playing drives and accents the track. London also includes one tune aimed at the burgeoning "Texas" market, "Found Myself In Texas," which she co-wrote with Clay Blaker. But the star that shone the brightest There are positives and there are negatives to Modern Day Mae West. Ms. London and Mitchell have certainly hit a real, honest country vibe with the playing and the production. There is an honesty and directness about Ms. London's lyrics and her vocal style. However, on the negative side, in spite of having all that talent in the studio, there is not a lot of thunder and lightning. The playing is competent and the arrangements are workable, but to have all that firepower behind her there isn't much flash in the picking or on the solos. The other major problems with Modern Day Mae West are Ms. London's voice and her songwriting. While she handles some tunes well, there is some material on the album that is just too ambitious for her vocally. She has a pleasant Tanya Tucker-like tone on some of the tunes, but her voice doesn't have the range or the sophistication yet to handle some this material. No doubt more experience in the studio will remedy some of the vocal limitations that are apparent on this album. From a songwriting standpoint, some of the material is serviceable but some of the songs are sub-par and rely too heavily on clichés and trite rhymes (not that these faults can't also be found in any number of other albums currently on the market). No doubt this will be one area Ms. London will be working hard to improve on with her next release. There is a lot of promise shown on Modern Day Mae West and she shows a good feel for the country format. Judging by the company she keeps, we can most likely expect a marked improvement in her next record. * Modern Day Mae West is available at www.moderndaymaewest.com |
Austin's
Brigitte London has made something really strange for an Austin
musician a country record. Not alt-country, not neo-outlaw,
not roots rock, but country. It's not a polished, over-produced,
spiffy country record like they make in the factories up in Nashville,
but it is certainly a country record and nothing else.
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