Search - Carrie Rodriguez :: She Ain't Me

Making a sow's ear of a silk purse

GWS | Chapel Hill, NC USA | 08/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In fairness I've only listened through a couple of times but I'm sorely disappointed in the effort. Carrie Rodriguez is a remarkable talent who has thrived in her partnership with Chip Taylor. What worked so well for and between them was at least in part his ear for a good tune and his world-weariness that cast the perfect backdrop for her to shine. She was always able to present herself as a quite plausible peer among an ever-so-slightly rough crowd of seasoned rowdies. The feeling that everything was sort of thrown together on the spot out of pure raw talent and experience worked well to showcase her multiple talents.



This album, on the other hand, is pure marketing. From the dolled-up photos to the way-overproduced feel, this is all wrong. (Interestingly, Gracenote has it classified as "Pop.") It really sounds to me like some kind of mutant packaging project where the idea was to try to force her into clones of songs by one each of a dozen recognizable and highly marketable girl singers. It doesn't work.



I don't mean to say she is nothing without Chip Taylor. Far from it. She is exceptionally talented. But I do mean that Chip Taylor has clearly played a crucial role in clearing the space to let her work shine. If she's going to flourish without him she's going to have to find enough spine to follow her art and ditch the marketing team that is serving her so poorly. Unless, of course, I've got it wrong and the gig with Chip Taylor was just to pay the bills and she was merely the best actress ever pretending to be into all that while she waited for her big chance to step out and make some pap under her own name.



Look, she's a terrific musician who can also turn a phrase with that delicious twang of hers. Casting her as the girl singer on a pop record is a tremendous waste. If you want to see what makes Carrie Rodriguez special look up the YouTube video of her playing off Chip Taylor on a live rendition of Wild Thing. She turns just the right phrase with just the right inflection and then she tears into that fiddle. Please, spare me the airbrush."

Rodriguez delivers

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 08/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In her second solo album Carrie Rodriguez leaves her fruitful partnership with songwriter Chip Taylor further behind. Most of the songs are at least partly hers: she collaborates with a group of talented co-writers and is backed up by a really great band, led by guitarist Hans Holzen, that forms a perfect foil for her distinctively smoky voice. The total sound, overseen by veteran producer Malcolm Burn, covers both pop and country territory but is all of a piece, avoiding the slightly overproduced feel of her first solo outing, "Seven Angels on a Bicycle."



Whether laying down the political gauntlet in "Infinite Night" and "Mask of Moses," or mulling over love's sorrows in "Rag Doll" and "Can't Cry Enough," or getting down with some gritty fiddle playing in "Absence" (too bad there isn't more on this album) Rodriguez delivers unforced, sincere emotion, even when her different vocal registers aren't perfectly in sync (high notes tend to be little more than whispers). The title track is a knowing, sassy take on the old "cheating song" theme that could well be delivered by the likes of Dolly Parton. It has an agreeable way of getting stuck in one's head that suggests it could get lots of airplay. I've listened to all of this artist's albums from the beginning and eagerly look forward to more."

A Rising Star - Long Overdue

Dr. Don Olsen | Denver, PA | 10/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Heard/saw this fine singer for the first time last night on Austin City Limits - I stopped watching The World Series game three to experience her!! Now I can't get enough of her!!!

Bought tickets to see her at the Arden, Delaware Gild Hall on Dec. 6 (2008). I can't believe the tickets were only $19.00 each!!

I haven't been this excited about an artist since Alison Krauss - and Carrie writes much of her material, too. This album showcases both her writing and vocal talents! I highly recommend it!"