Whiskey Thoughts

I stumbled upon Greta Gaines at a concert at Georgetown University showcasing alumni artists and she was fantastic, which led me to this purchase. This CD is a very enjoyable blend of sophisticated and witty lyrics, rock with a country influence. Add to it a sultry voice and you have a recipe for hours of great listening!

When I heard her earlier works (her debut CD, and 2nd one "It Was Hot") I said these are songs that Sheryl Crow wishes she could write. They were that good. This release is even better. Gaines deserves a lot more success and recognition.

One might be tempted to view Gaines and her parents as dilettantes, were they not so successful at their startling wide range of talents. Gaines' father is a novelist and screen writer ("Pumping Iron" and "Stay Hungry") and the inventor of paintball, her mother is an artist and former Miss Alabama, and Gaines herself racked up a pro snowboard title before moving to Nashville in the mid-90s, pursued music, landed a deal, had an album lost in record company mergers, released her works independently, and earned touring slots with Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette. Her success as a snowboarder led to hosting slots with MTV and Oxygen (including the purpose-built "Free Ride" on the latter), and finally ESPN2. She's placed her music in films and even acted in Ethan Hawke's "The Hottest State." A second indie release garnered a touring slot with Sheryl Crow, and then a third indie release. Starting to feel like an underachiever? Did I mention she's also banged out two kids? This fourth release, the first with major distribution, will be her introduction to most listeners, and thus will be surprising in its confidence and polish. The indie releases provided Gaines opportunities to woodshed in the studio and songwriter's room, and she emerged with more focus than one typically hears in their first exposure to an artist. Her earlier dalliances with electronica on 2006's "Can't Kill the Flavor" overwhelmed Gaines' earthy southern rock and country core; here they're voiced more as production polish on the edges. The easy comparison, given Gaines' seamless blending of rock, country, folk and soul flavorings is her previous tourmate Crow. But where Crow's lyrics often seem like vapid rhymes plucked from a dictionary, Gaines only wields "vapid" in the sharp-tongued kiss-off "L is For Loser." The rollicking girl's-party sing-along highlights a more fitting vocal comparison to Nashville singer-songwriter Matraca Berg, and you can also hear hints of Sweetwater's Nancy Nevins throughout the album. The guitar-and-drums production backing Gaines is fittingly punchy. The bass-heavy rhythm of the title track is a perfect opener, with Gaines singing melodically over the riffing guitars, briefly dropping into a processed vocal that adds a subconscious annotation. Similarly, "Braggart" opens with power chords and pounding drums to accompany a half-spoken, half-hollered blues rock - this would certainly get the blood pumping as you dropped into a half-pipe for your first run at Winter X. Though she's a rocker, Gaines has other speeds. The organ-lined duet with Raul Malo, "Love is Twisted," is taken at a trot, "Falling James" is dark and languid in the vein of Austin singer Patricia Vonne, and the "Willie Waltz" is a gentle dance. Gaines' website quotes her as saying, "I started out to show the world that women can represent in non-traditional sports such as snowboarding and fly-fishing and have a career singing and songwriting at the same time." Given her strength in all these endeavors, it's hard to imagine anyone ever thought to tell her that women couldn't do all that at once. There's no need to qualify Gaines' music as "good for a snowboarder," it's just good. Very good. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

I tell you what . . . this whole album is awesome, I loved all the tunes. While my favorite is "L is 4 L.O.S.E.R." I also really love "The Willie Waltz." I suggest you buy this album if you like a nice blend of rock/country/bluesy sound. Or if you don't. It's that good.