Track Listing

1. Killing Him
2. Tennessee Valentine
3. That Beat
4. Pointless Drinking
5. Washing Machine
6. Overcome
7. People Get Mad
8. Cupid's Arrow
9. Time Is a Train
10. I'll Remember You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5458 in Music
• Released on: 2008-07-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

CD Description
Amy LaVere has been compared to a rootsier, more dangerous Norah Jones. This album delivers ten smart and sexy tales of spooky love, twangy ache, sultry torch and gutsy blues that is totally unpredictable and relentlessly daring, the sound of an uncommon artist unafraid to be exactly who she is. Jim Dickinson (Aretha Franklin, Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan) says "As a producer, you take the artist out to the edge of the cliff, where they have to learn to trust you. And of course, you push 'em off. A lot of them fall. But Amy has wings to fly. In fact, I think it's one of the best records I've ever made".

Customer Reviews

Killer voice, moderate songs, great image
Amongst her influences Amy LaVere lists Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. If you can imagine the three of them merged into one - not an easy call I agree - that would be Amy LaVere.

First off, her vocal tone is stunning: all the girly sexiness of Marilyn Monroe singing 'Happy Birthday, Mr President', plus there's something French and smouldering going on. There's a characteristic vibrato on long notes that's really attractive.

She plays an upright bass (rather larger than she is!) and it's a really good look. She's extremely easy on the eye, in a fragile sort of way, which won't hurt her career, but means that watching a DVD is a bit more rewarding than listening to a CD. Still that never hurt Alison Goldfrapp!

The material is country-ish, but she adds her own take on it; it would be too simplistic to pigeonhole it that way. There's some great playing from the band here too.

I have a couple of worries, though - which may of course be answered by that difficult third album when it comes. First is the songwriting. The songs are pretty good as they go, and have some cool lyrics. But they are repetitive, and need more variety.

Take 'Pointless Drinking': it's a great idea for a song, it has a great hook, and the lyrics are smashing. But its running time is nearly four minutes with never a middle eight for heaven's sake. The hook would be so much more effective if it didn't come around quite so regularly.

Second worry is that the voice sometimes lets down, and one wonders how much the trills and inflections are stylistic, and how much they cover a problem with intonation.

Still, it's a great CD to put on late at night. Just don't play it too often.

Amazing performance at Royal Albert Hall
I saw Amy at the Royal Albert Hall supporting Seasick Steve and she was absolutely amazing. Can't wait to see her on Later with Jools this week.

She does it all for me
You've got to have something (a REAL X Factor) to help you stand out from all the Norah Wannabees and this Amy has it in spades. Beyond categories like country jazz, bluesy pop and the rest, this mixture of styles, within songs as well as between them, has the smell of a Louisiana swamp, the voice of a Brooklyn dreamer and the style of the BIGCITY with its feet up on a Blue Ridge Mountain backporch rocker. I saw her support Seasick Steve, too, and she stood in nobody's shadow, despite her diminutive stature - physically, not in any way musically, that is. She can poke fun at herself as much as loathsome lovers and I never get tired of this album. Go out and get it.