Published on Apr 9, 2001
I remember reading a newspaper article where a music director
for a country-western radio station stated that he thanks God every
day for rap music. If that seems a little odd to you, he explained
that the reason he thanks God for rap is because it brought more
people to country music.
I can’t argue with him. The few times I have listened to a
country radio station, I always hear a few songs that I know would
have been considered “pop” twenty years ago. Mainstream country
radio seems tohave absorbed the audience that used to listen to pop
music, but perhaps finds today’s popular songs too rhythm-oriented
for their tastes.
I bring this up because I wonder: if country is gradually
becoming pop music with a twang, then where does that leave country
music that really sounds country? If you are Laura Cantrell, and
you bring to your first CD,
Not The Tremblin’ Kind, that classic country vibe, then that
leaves you without a ghost of a chance to get a hit on the
charts.
Cantrell is known in the New York City area as the DJ for ”
The Radio Thrift
Shop,” which is heard on the free form radio station, WFMU-FM.
She plays a lot of traditional country on her show, although she
has been known to play pop, blues, jazz, folk, and any kind of
music that strikes her fancy.
Not The Tremblin’ Kind is not as eclectic as that. Cantrell
stays pretty much in country territory, but she does show her love
for the different sides of the music, and she is not afraid to
bring pop songs into the country fold. For example, listen to her
interpretation of the title song, which was written by fellow New
York based songwriter George Usher. In Usher’s hands, the song
sounds like “Mr. Tambourine Man”-era Byrds. However, Cantrell, with
her Tennessee warble (she sings like a cross between Lucinda
Williams and Iris DeMent), turns the song into pure country
gold.
The rest of the CD alternates between hardcore country, and the
lighter variety that is sometimes called Americana. Her
Americana-oriented songs are solid: “Little Bit Of You”, “Pile Of
Woe” and “Two Seconds” are filled with soaring melodies, thoughful
lyrics, and tasteful accompaniment on the guitar and mandolin.
However,
Not The Tremblin’ Kind is at its best when the tunes are
more hardcore country. Cantrell wrote four of the twelve songs on
the CD, and all of them are winners. The standouts are “Queen Of
The Coast”, which reminds me that country songs are best when they
tell poignant stories, and “Churches On The Interstate”, which has
classic country written all over it, but is coming from a different
perspective (let’s just say that the Bible Belt would not be all
that thrilled with the message).
But the most traditional country song on the CD is “The Whiskey
Makes You Sweeter”, written by singer/songwriter Amy Allison. The
song is so drenched in twang, that it makes current country stars
like Faith Hill sound like Christina Aguilera in comparison. This
song also reminds me of another of country’s strengths: the crying
in your beer song.
The only missteps are when
Not The Tremblin’ Kind gets a little too eclectic. Cantrell
doesn’t sound terribly comfortable doing the trucker song “Big
Wheel”. And the most overtly pop song on the CD, “Do You Ever Think
Of Me”, is a pleasant enough ditty, but it sounds trite coming
right after “The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter”.
Overall,
Not The Tremblin’ Kind is a strong debut for Cantrell. She
knows a good song when she hears one (or writes one), but the CD
comes across like she is throwing ideas up in the air to see what
will stick. That most of it does stick is to her credit, but if she
can show a little bit more focus, her next release will be one
awesome piece of work.