ROUTES & BRANCHES
featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
October 4, 2020
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
I listen to a lot of non-roots music. When I'm not poring over stuff for our weekly Episodes, I'll be keeping an eye on the pop charts, or tuning into blogs that focus on indie music. All that other music sounds different than what I lovingly term our kind of music. Sometimes production for roots music is about setting up a microphone or two and pressing Record. And that's actually the way most listeners like it. We tend to be more fond of an organic vibe, and we cry foul if something is overproduced. We want our songs to be well-written, and pretty much everything else is gravy.
I say this by way of introduction to one of the best sounding albums of 2020, Bonnie Whitmore's Last Will & Testament. The Austin singer-songwriter and bassist landed on my radar with the release of 2013's There I Go Again. During our radio years she was a gracious and funny instudio guest during the ensuing tour. 2016's Fuck With Sad Girls was a bold shot across the bow, as much for the record's title as for Whitmore's excellent and evolving songcraft. While she had been serving as a supporting musician since her teen years, those earlier records hinted at her suitability for a spot at the front of the stage.
Bonnie Whitmore's earlier songs were firmly in the americana vein, even as Sad Girls began to reveal glints of pop and soul. As a writer and a performer, she's capable of mining for deeper emotions and delivering lyrics that can sting. Those glimmers and promises are given full rein on Whitmore's fourth release, a collection that finds her coproducing with guitarist Scott Davis. The results push the proverbial envelope sonically and artistically.
Last Will & Testament jolts to life with a title cut that stomps and sparks like Amy Winehouse. Dripping with drama, layered Beach Boys harmonies give way to an army of blatting horns and sweeping strings. The wall-of-sound approach serves as a promissory note for the ten songs that follow, each characterized by thoughtful contemporary production and arrangements that compliment Whitmore's increasingly confident writing.
Whitmore has demonstrated a strong ear for pop melody even as she drew within the americana lines. That gift is best delivered on "Right/Wrong" and the fierce "Ask for It". The latter is a smart jab against mistreatment of women, couched in a propulsive pop singalong: So go on and blame the victim / Why should violence have consequence / And each time you silence them / Recreates the same events. With anthemic horns and Trevor Nealon's throwback keys, "Right/Wrong" is perfect orchestral pop.
Bonnie Whitmore builds a case throughout Last Will as a phenomenal vocalist, especially as she relaxes into the shades of soul that are cast on songs like "None of My Business". Her verses are invested with genuine emotion, lingering and soaring over notes at the control of a voice that is as effective in rock or roots as it is in blues or jazz (as in the album's heartfelt closer, "George's Lullaby"). "Fine" and "Love Worth Remembering" return to a more americana sphere, recalling early Roseanne Cash or even Linda Ronstadt at times.
Most impressively, Whitmore takes some bold risks on her new sessions, adding off-kilter effects and toy piano to the Tom Waits-esque "Imaginary", or hiding a ticking clock beneath the poignant "Time to Shoot". She is joined by Will Johnson on a no-holds-barred run through Centro-Matic's "Flashes & Cables". Scott Davis' guitars roar atop bucking and thudding percussion on Whitmore's faithful but revelatory take.
Bonnie Whitmore can sing pretty, and she's not in danger of being evicted from the roots music sandbox anytime soon. Like Maria McKee or Nicole Atkins, she carves a refreshing swath through the genre, fiercely crossing borders and solidifying her own musical identity along the way. Even as Last Will & Testament resets the expectations Whitmore prompted with her first projects, it sets the stage for what might be next. In light of the eclectic and accomplished nature of her new record, the limits are few. She sings: Time to shoot, take the shot / Show the world what you got / When it's done, when you're gone / Were you right, or were you wrong?
- Steve Earle, "Times Like These" single (New West, 20) D
- SG Goodman, "Which Side Are You On" single (Verve, 20) D
- Brent Cobb, "This Side of the River" Keep 'Em On They Toes (Ol' Buddy, 20)
- Nude Party, "Nashville Record Co" Midnight Manor (New West, 20)
- Great Lake Swimmers, "Pulling On a Line" Lost Channels (Nettwerk, 10)
- Laura Veirs, "Another Space and Time" My Echo (Raven Marching Band, Oct 23)
- Jim White, "Smart-Ass Reply" Misfit's Jamboree (Fluff & Gravy, Oct 23)
- Lydia Loveless, "Never" Daughter (Honey You're Gonna Be Late, 20)
- John Doe, "Hotel Ghost" Year in the Wilderness (Yep Roc, 07)
- 49 Winchester, "Hays, Kansas" III (49 Winchester, 20) D
- Drive-by Truckers, "Sarah's Flame" The New OK (ATO, 20) D
^ Bonnie Whitmore, "Flashes & Cables" Last Will & Testament (Starlet & Dog, 20)
- Dave Hause, "doublewhiskeycokeonice (feat. Lilly Hiatt)" Paddy EP (Soundly, Oct 23)
- Otis Gibbs, "Nine Foot Problem" Hoosier National (Wanamaker, 20)
- Amanda Shires, "The Problem (feat. Jason Isbell)" single (Silver Knife, 20) D
- Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy, "Blackness of the Night (feat. AZITA)" single (Drag City, 20) D
- Andrew Bird, "Andalucia" HARK! (Loma Vista, Oct 30) D
- Autumn Defense, "This Thing That I've Found" Fifth (Yep Roc, 13)
- Strays Don't Sleep, "I Walked Away" A Short Film For a Long Story EP (Hearts & Smarts, Oct 30) D
- Lake Street Dive, "Making Do" single (Nonesuch, 20) D
- Fleet Foxes, "Jara" Shore (Anti, 20)
- Sadies, "Walkin' Cane (feat. Catherine Irwin)" Poor Little Knitter On the Road (Bloodshot, 99)
- Kurt Vile, "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" Speed Sound Lonely KV EP (Matador, 20)
- Amanda Anne Platt & Honeycutters, "Desert Flowers" single (Organic, 20) D
- Mastersons, "Sensitive Souls" Red White & I Love You Too EP (Red House, Oct 16) D
- Son Volt, "Sinking Down" Notes of Blue (Transmit Sound, 17)
- Caitlin Canty, "Where Is the Heart of My Country" single (Tone Tree, 20) D
- Becky Warren, "Good Luck (You're Gonna Need It)" Sick Season (Warren, Oct 23)
- Jon Snodgrass, "Footage (feat. Mikey Erg)" Tace (A-F Records, Oct 9)
- Deep Dark Woods, "Two Time Loser" Winter Hours (Black Hen, 09)
Reviews 'n ROUTES-casts are only 2/3 of the deal here at R&BHQ. In order to obtain the full experience, you'll want to click through to A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster. That's our lovingly curated record release calendar, where you can keep tabs on albums from the past couple weeks or months, as well as taking a look at what's on your musical event horizon. This week was one of those Bandcamp Fridays, when the online music site waives the usual artist fees. Much of the stuff that's shared on the Bandcamp site isn't presently available at other sales or streaming stops. This week, f'rinstance, there were new offerings from Hiss Golden Messenger, Cary Hudson, Massy Ferguson, and a curious Joe Pernice record of Barry Manilow covers (don't get me wrong: I love me some "Weekend in New England"). Also dropped unexpectedly this week were new full LPs from Drive-by Truckers and Fruit Bats. Mic Harrison & High Score will be unleashing Bright Spot on November 6. And back in 2013, Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass declared themselves Buddies with an album of collaborations. On November 13, the Xtra Mile label will follow up with Buddies II: Still Buddies, featuring contributions from members of the Descendents, ALL and Lucero. Finally, add another record to our small but growing list of 2021 releases. Matt Urmy's South of the Sky appears wherever music matters on January 15 (Tritone).
I'm still trying to figure how to link to our usual weekly Spotify ROUTES-cast. Until then, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.
Earlier ROUTES-casts have been removed; subscribe to our Spotify page to keep up with all our new playlists!
Thanks for the heads up as to Cary!
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