Rachel Harrington & The Knock Outs
Album: Rachel Harrington & The Knock Outs
Label: Continental Song City
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.rachelharrington.net

This is the latest album from Seattle-based country/soul singer-songwriter Rachel Harrington (her 4th overall) and her first since the extremely well received Celilo Falls released just last year. As a big country fan, I was eager to pick this up and give it a spin after hearing her compared to one of the all-time greats, Loretta Lynn. Despite the daunting comparison (Lynn is impeccable!) it becomes plain to hear within the first ten seconds that not only does Harrington wear her influences on her sleeve, she brings a very modern take on such a classic genre. The vocal styling's on lead track Makin' Our House A Honkytonk are reminiscent of Lynn's classic Blue Kentucky Girl, albeit with an edgier, more garage rock backing.

There is a strong muscle to the instrumentation on this record that drives the majority of the songs. He's My Man has an almost Spector-esque backing vocal style that is reminiscent of The Ronette's Be My Baby or any other classic handpicked from that Wall of Sound era. Most of the album is played at a frantic pace (the 10 tracks clock in at under 32 minutes which would be even too fast for many punk albums!), which is only slowed down for the beautiful duet I'll Show You Mine. If you listen to this album with eyes closed you can almost imagine being transported back to a dusty, sweaty bar somewhere in Nashville back in the 1950's. You can picture the wooden floorboards, the jostling crowd with beers and cigarettes and heavy-heeled boots pounding in time to the beat.

Harrington has put together her backing band with care. The fiddle playing on Hippie In My House is enchanting yet subtle, the bass simple yet effective (just the way traditional country should be). Like Steve Earle (who also has a habit of transferring you back to times gone by) Moonshine Boy has a similar lyrical theme to his classic track Copperhead Road. Whilst he is dealing with difficult times, Harrington keeps it on a lighter note comparing her sunshine girl to her sweetheart's moonshine boy character, showing their polar opposites (a play on the theme of opposites attracting perhaps?).

Rachel Harrington & The Knock Outs are on our shores in April and May playing in support of this record and on the basis of the strength shown in the songwriting they will be must-see gigs. Loretta Lynn? Move over and make way for your natural successor to take centre stage.

Simon Ridley