Reviews
Artist:Amanda Shires
Album:West Cross Timbers
Label:Self Released
Tracks:11
Website:http://www.amandashires.net
Despite country music's seemingly infinite capacity to produce indistinguishable sugar-coated blondes there remains a stubborn streak that rejects the stereotype and homogeny, delivering such delights as Laura Cantrell, Devon Sproule, Eilen Jewell and Amy LaVere.
And now Amanda Shires.
A Texan born and raised, Amanda was smitten by the fiddle at the age of ten and by sixteen was accomplished in the western swing style and had joined Lanny Fiel's Ranch Dance Fiddle Band, played in regional orchestras and symphonies and was performing with Tommy Allsup and the legendary Texas Playboys.
She recorded and released her debut solo album “Being Brave” in 2004 and two years later was spotted by Nashville based singer/songwriter Rod Picott. They began working as a duo soon afterwards and released their delectable debut set as a duo “Sew Your Heart With Wires.”
"West Cross Timbers", her second solo release, was recorded in Nashville and co-produced with Rod Picott and David Henry. Released at the close of 2008, the eleven song collection features eight Shires’ penned originals and “Keep Them Dogs From Barkin’” co-written with Fiel, plus a cover of Picott’s “Angels And Acrobats,” and closes with the 1920’s pop hit “Whispering.”
Shires' voice strikes you immediately, a clean simple tone with an alluring innocence sprinkled with a distinctive tremolo, used to best effect in "Mineral Wells". Her fiddle playing never intrudes on what is first and foremost a vocal album, but we get glimpses of a rich tone, fine technique and intelligent improvisation, such as the opening bars of the melancholy "Rings and Chains".
We are seeing more and more of the ukulele these days, as serious musicians recognise its potential to offer an alternative to guitar backing. Shires' playing of the instrument owes more to the echoey early recordings of Jolie Holland than the polish of Victoria Vox, but is none the worse for it: the stripped back production on "Unwanted Things" suits the instrument and Shires' voice well.
On an album where the quality of the song writing, arrangements and production is consistently high, two tracks in particular stand out: the instantly catchy "Angels and Acrobats" is a song, lets face it, about how much fun sex can be; while "Mariann Leola" is a heartfelt message to sadly departed loved one.
If you like songs to make a political or social comment, if you like songs to make your blood stir or your hackles rise, then this album may not be for you. If you like songs about people, the places they live, and the ways they love, then it surely is.
Amanda is touring the UK with Rod Picott in the first half of June 2009.
Martin Finnigan