Growing out of a gig at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women mixes the roots rock god with a gang of female musicians to take on songs old, new, borrowed and blue. And a stellar lineup it is too: CINDY CASHDOLLAR (VAN MORRISON, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, BOB DYLAN) on pedal and lap steel, LAURIE LEWIS (a solo artist in her own right) on fiddle and mandolin, SARAH BROWN (RUTH BROWN, BILLY BRAGG, IAN MCLAGAN) on bass, AMY FARRIS (ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, KELLY WILLIS, RAY PRICE) on strings, NINA GERBER (NANCI GRIFFITH, ELIZA GILKYSON, GREG BROWN) on guitar, LISA PANKRATZ (RONNIE DAWSON, the DERAILERS, ROSIE FLORES) on drums and CHRISTY MCWILSON (the PICKETTS, two Alvin-produced solo records) on co- vocals. There’s a real feeling of warmth threaded throughout this mostly (but not solely) acoustic album, the kind of feeling that comes only from musicians who trust each other. It also helps to have a stellar song selection, which is hardly unusual on an Alvin record, whether originals (by both Alvin and McWilson) or covers. Haunting ballads (“These Times We’re Living In,” “Anyway”), swinging tributes (“Boss of the Blues,” Alvin’s nod to his mentor BIG JOE WILLIAMS) and folky character studies (“Downey Girl,” “Nana and Jimi”) give the album its heart and character. But the record begins and ends with its most winning tracks. Alvin and company open with a Cajun-flavored take on his BLASTERS chestnut “Marie Marie,” featuring the most fiery vocal I’ve ever heard Alvin record, and close with a magnificent, bluesy duet on the DORIS DAY standard “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” Effortlessly enjoyable.
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