Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women Review

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(More customer reviews)Having debuted this all-female backing lineup at San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in 2008, Dave Alvin and his estrogen-packing band have waxed a gem. Christy McWilson and Amy Farris' harmonies and duets prove compelling partners to Alvin's baritone on an album of blues, rock, folk and a few surprises. Chief among the surprises is the Cajun fiddle and pedal steel arrangement of Alvin's "Marie Marie," rendered so convincingly that it will take you a second to remember the Blasters signature original. From there the group comes out blasting with the galloping electric folk-blues "California's Burning," an allegorical tale that provides a requiem for the Golden State's cash-strapped coffers. Alvin and McWilson duet like Richard and Mimi Fariña here, and Cindy Cashdollar adds some fiery slide playing.
The passing of friend and bandmate Chris Gaffney was one of Alvin's motivations for forming this alternative to his Guilty Men, and he's obviously in a reflective, memorial mood. "Downey Girl" remembers fellow Downey High School student Karen Carpenter and in his middle age Alvin finds a sympathetic appraisal of her fame. Nostalgia for young-pup years has always threaded through Alvin's work, and with "Boss of the Blues" he ties together a nostalgic memory of Joe Turner with Turner's own nostalgic memories of Downey's golden years as a blues hothouse. One of the album's happiest and transformative memories, of being dropped off at a Jimi Hendrix concert, opens with the "Folsom Prison" rewrite, "My mother told me, be a good boy, and don't do nothing wrong."
Christy McWilson (Dynette Set, Pickets) sings lead on a pair of her own originals, "Weight of the World" and "Potter's Field," continuing the mood of struggle that pervaded her two Alvin-produced solo albums. A real standout is her up-tempo duet with Alvin on a cover of Tim Hardin's oft-covered "Don't Make Promises." Alvin and McWilson have paired for `60s covers before, notably Moby Grape's "805" on 2002's Bed of Roses, but this one's extended acoustic guitar jam really hits the mark. The closing cover of "Que Sera, Sera" suggests Alvin may be ready to move past his grief, but the song's fatalism is strangely at odds with the rocking country blues arrangement.
When he's not fondly remembering happier times, Alvin sings low through much of the album, reaching a level of quiet introspection on "These Times We're Living In" that brings to mind Leonard Cohen. The loss of Chris Gaffney has left a mark on Alvin, and for now at least, his music. His backing band is not just a terrifically talented quintet deeply steeped in the roots of their shared music, but a place for Alvin to rest his soul and rethink his relationship to the Guilty Men minus one. This is more than a temporary respite; it's a revitalizing step towards artistic and personal rediscovery. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

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Grammy winner, Dave Alvin, has been roaming the highways of American music for over a quarter century. During those decades he's busted speakers with roots rock kick-starters, The Blasters, as well as mined the depths of country, folk and blues with his solo projects. A mainstay during much of this journey has been Alvin's electrifying band The Guilty Men. Following the recent death of Dave's best friend and Guilty Men accordionist Chris Gaffney in early 2008, Alvin decided to move in an exciting new musical direction. In October 2008 he stepped onto the stage of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco with an all-star, all-female group. Since dubbed The Guilty Women, the group consists of Americana scene vets Cindy Cashdollar, Nina Gerber, Laurie Lewis, Sarah Brown, Amy Farris, Christy McWilson and Lisa Pankrantz. Special guests include Marcia Ball and Susie Thompson. The self-titled debut from this unique assemblage of players, led by Alvin, is a spirited collection of thoughtful yet dynamic tunes featuring world-class musicianship worthy of his now legendary pedigree.

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