Amy LaVere-Stranger Me-CD-FLAC-2011-THEVOiD

                              DRIFT INTO THE VOID
 Info   
     Artist  | Amy LaVere
     Title   | Stranger Me
     Genre   | Folk-Rock                            Format  | Album
     Source  | CD                                   Time    | 45:23
     Label   | Archer Records                       Store   | 2011
     Catalog | 3319362                              Rip     | 2021
     Bitrate | 931  kbps                            Size    | 315.91 MB
     Freq    | 44.1 kHz                             Encoder | FLAC 1.3.1
 Tracks 
     01. Damn Love Song                                              5:12
     02. You Can't Keep Me                                           3:07
     03. Red Banks                                                   3:29
     04. A Great Divide                                              3:11
     05. Often Happens                                               3:37
     06. Lucky Boy                                                   3:38
     07. Tricky Heart                                                4:45
     08. Stranger Me                                                 4:45
     09. Candle Mambo                                                4:07
     10. Cry My Eyes Out                                             4:37
     11. Let Yourself Go (Come On)                                   4:55
 Notes  
     While Amy LaVere's voice may have the high, breathy tone of a young girl,
     she brings to her music the emotional peaks and valleys of a grown woman
     who has certainly seen her share of the world, and it's hard not to believe
     that her adventurous life has informed her work. LaVere was born Amy Fant,
     in a small town near the border of Texas and Louisiana to parents who were
     part-time musicians. Her family's nomadic life led LaVere to live in 13
     different places before she finished high school, and when her folks
     finally settled in Detroit, she rejected the classic country sounds they
     doted on - Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson were their
     favorites - in favor of punk rock. LaVere played drums and sang in a Motor
     City punk band called Last Minute, but after graduating she grew restless
     and headed back to Louisiana, which turned out to be a brief stop on the
     way to a job in Nashville, working for a music management company.
     Turmoil, particularly of the romantic sort, often creates great art. That's
     especially true in music, where breakups have produced classics such as
     Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks" and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". It has also
     proved a spark for Americana singer/songwriter/standup bassist Amy LaVere.
     Dark topics of love gone awry have always been part of her repertoire, but
     on her third and most introspective album, the dissolution of a long
     personal relationship with drummer Paul Taylor (who contributes to every
     track even though the album was recorded after their split), and the death
     of her mentor/producer Jim Dickinson, give her music a dusky, often
     unsettling edge that marks this as LaVere's most compelling and challenging
     set yet.
     On atmospheric, even spooky songs such as "Cry My Eyes Out", with its
     shimmering feedback, reverbed guitar, and oozingly slow beat, there's a
     sense of desperation that goes far deeper than the lyrics or oblique
     melody. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Steff's vibraphone and treated keyboards
     are integral components to many of the tracks, including that one, infusing
     an oblique, murky approach often cloaked in shadows. The somewhat
     disconcerting cover photo of a raccoon mask painted on LaVere's face should
     make it clear that this time out, things are a little, well, stranger, than
     on her previous releases. Brooding musings such as the opening "Damn Love
     Song". with its militaristic beat, underlying harmonium, layered
     instrumentation, and LaVere's thumping acoustic bass is a clear break from
     her generally lighter, more folk/country music past.
     Even upbeat tunes like the funky "A Great Divide", with its popping bass
     riff and surprise jazzy sax solo features lyrics that describe the
     disconnect between her and her lover with a title that speaks to both the
     physical and psychological distance. Although the majority of the set is
     original, any Americana artist who covers both Jimbo Mathus' lovely "Lucky
     Boy" and Captain Beefheart's typically twisted "Candle Mambo" (perhaps the
     only recorded interpretation of this song) is clearly pushing the
     boundaries of the genre in all sorts of interesting, non-linear directions.
     The dichotomy of her breath, her girlish voice, and the music's slightly
     experimental bent makes for a riveting experience.
     It's an indication that LaVere is developing her talents and setting her
     sights on far wider vistas than her other two releases, as impressive as
     they were, indicated. In that respect, "Stranger Me" is not only a logical
     title but a demanding and surprisingly successful experiment that
     challenges both LaVere and the listener, pushing her into edgy, clearly
     non-commercial areas. It might have taken some tough changes and choices to
     get here, but at least artistically, those difficult times have paid off
     handsomely.

800K	00-amy_lavere-stranger_me-cd-flac-2011-thevoid.jpg
4.0K	00-amy_lavere-stranger_me-cd-flac-2011-thevoid.m3u
12K	00-amy_lavere-stranger_me-cd-flac-2011-thevoid.nfo
4.0K	00-amy_lavere-stranger_me-cd-flac-2011-thevoid.sfv
36M	01-amy_lavere-damn_love_song-thevoid.flac
23M	02-amy_lavere-you_cant_keep_me-thevoid.flac
25M	03-amy_lavere-red_banks-thevoid.flac
24M	04-amy_lavere-a_great_divide-thevoid.flac
24M	05-amy_lavere-often_happens-thevoid.flac
24M	06-amy_lavere-lucky_boy-thevoid.flac
30M	07-amy_lavere-tricky_heart-thevoid.flac
33M	08-amy_lavere-stranger_me-thevoid.flac
29M	09-amy_lavere-candle_mambo-thevoid.flac
27M	10-amy_lavere-cry_my_eyes_out-thevoid.flac
32M	11-amy_lavere-let_yourself_go_(come_on)-thevoid.flac
303M	total