Some things hit out of the blue and you just have to tell people – you have to! Isn’t music a wonderful, revelatory, multi-faceted salve of a thing?
Listening to the new Alt-country, Americana record by Laura-Mary Carter, I am immediately reminded of the croony, swoony, sweet but seductive voice of Nicole Atkins (Nashville via New Jersey) – I will pay few higher compliments, I have always loved Nicole. Carter’s song Signs has a Twin Peaks/ Angelo Badalamenti feel to it – a wonderfully atmospheric number with draggy drums and a swelling romanticism that’s just a bit David Lynch-ian, a bit off-kilter. I’m hooked.
UK-born Laura-Mary is half (with Steven Ansell) of indie rock duo Blood Red Shoes. Some of her solo debut Town Called Nothing is heavy, too, in its own way – The City We Live throbs and moans while the light gutters as if in a crane shot looking down on to a tragic, night-time RTA at a desolate, rain-soaked crossroads somewhere on the way to Hell or Holy heartbreak.
Blue’s Not My Colour is a perfect opener, Laura-Mary boldly nailing and unveiling this “new” identity, but it’s with Signs that things really take off (“that’s the way it goes, I suppose …”) and the title track is another doozy. Better On My Own is the closest to a singalong, almost anthemic, a superb drum track, while finale Ceremony, like many of the songs, is a beautifully-poised slowburner floating just one beat away from majorly rocking out. Better On My Own and particularly Ceremony could bring the house down in a live context.
Whether you call this an EP or a “mini-album” is neither here nor there, it’s simply great music. The arrangements and production are first class, there’s a wonderful variety of guitar sounds and some very nice playing, the songwriting is high quality, all the numbers dreamily, gorgeously retro while maintaining a fine balance between sultry hot and expertly, undeniably cool (without ever being merely lukewarm).
I’ve always been hard to convince when it comes to “UK Americana” (it’s a contradiction in itself, isn’t it?) but Laura-Mary Carter knows the score, knows the places, knows the vibe and is the real deal in this high-bar, tough and truly competitive arena. I’m a convert. I’m a believer. I just had to tell you about it.
Producer Ed Harcourt plays bass and piano, with Jorma Vik (formerly of The Bronx) on drums.
Town Called Nothing, by Laura-Mary Carter, is out now on Velveteen Records.