Beginning with her first release, and continuing over time and nine albums, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier often came across like a queer Lucinda Williams.
On her 10th studio record, “Reckoning” (In The Black), an audible shift has occurred. Citing Bruce Springsteen’s stripped-down 1982 masterpiece “Nebraska” as inspiration, Gauthier has created a recording that is both homage and breakthrough. The reverb that co-producer Neilson Hubbard mentions in the liner notes serves the haunting material well. The near-epic title track, co-written by Gauthier and queer singer/songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan, is nothing short of astonishing, and the last line, “a reckoning is a beckoning and a reckoning’s the only way back home,” speaks to the moment like nothing else before it. An album of generous songwriting collaborations with Eliza Gilkyson (“Soldier of Fortune”), Vince Gill (“Some Times”), Beth Nielsen Chapman (“Black Ice” and “Gone”), Lori McKenna (“Heaven”), Gauthier’s partner Jaimee Harris (“Alcohol and Adderall”), and others. Springsteen should be flattered by this reverent and distinctive project.
If you’ve been following the varied and fascinating career of multiple Grammy-winning artist Meshell Ndegeocello, you know that she is a singular performer. You also likely know that she is no stranger to recording covers of songs on her albums, beginning with her rendition of Bill Withers’ “Who Is He and What Is He to You?” from 1996’s “Peace Beyond Passion.” Ndegeocello’s 2012 album “Pour Une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone” paid homage to songs written or performed by Simone and 2018’s “Ventriloquism” consisted of her interpretations of songs by George Clinton, TLC, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Sade, and Janet Jackson, among others. “Synonym’ (Blue Note), her new album, not only features duets with an amazing line-up of guest artists such as Cynthia Erivo, Anohni, Brandi Carlie, Chaka Khan, and Cat Power, but Is made up of a remarkable cross-section of pop song material. You may never listen to “Don’t You Want Me,” “I Got You Babe,” “The Closer I Get To You,” “Be Real Black For Me,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “Guilty,” and “Islands In the Stream,” the same way again. Additionally, Ndegeocello sounds like she’s enjoying the experience of leaving her unique mark on these standards.
Featuring distinctive songs such as “Coffee” and “Hey Mami,” nothing else sounded like the eponymous 2014 debut album by Sylvan Esso. On its fourth album, “Ow ∞” (Psychic Hotline), recorded over three years, the duo, featuring bi vocalist Amelia Meath, remains as sonically distinctive as ever, while also expanding their accessibility. Featuring guest artists including Wilco’s Glenn Kotche and Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, Sylvan Esso maintains its experimental edge on “Concrete Glen” (featuring the flawless use of a Sigur Rós sample), “Entertainment and Coca-Cola,” “Ribbon,” “Plastic Sword,” and “Back Again,” while offering user-friendly options such as “Right to Left,” “Hot Slob,” and “Sledge.”
Love her or loathe her, there’s no denying the impact that Courtney Love made on music with her band Hole. Of course, there were other female-fronted ‘90s grunge bands receiving major-label attention, including L7, Babes In Toyland, The Gits, and 7 Year Bitch, but it was Hole that achieved a degree of mainstream success. Reissued on vinyl as part of the limited edition and numbered One Step Definitive Sound Series, Hole’s scorching 1994 album, “Live Through This” (Geffen), featuring lesbian drummer Patty Schemel (who joined the band beginning with this album) still sounds as revolutionary as it did more than 30 years ago. Song such as “Doll Parts,” “Miss World,” “Asking For It,” “Violet,” and the less-than-flattering Olympia, WA tribute “Rock Star,” haven’t lost their sting.
