Choice pick:
Amy Allison – Everything and Nothing Too.
Her best, strongest collection of songs. That’s quite
an achievement for someone who already has a couple of
genuine classic albums under her belt, The Maudlin
Years and Sad Girl. Allison is a master of the mot
juste, the double or triple or quadruple entendre: no
wonder Elvis Costello likes her so much. Until lately,
she wrote country songs imbued with an inimitably
droll wit and charm: it’s hard not to fall for the
elegantly phrased klutz in all things romantic that
she played to the hilt earlier in her career. But it’s
never easy to tell whether she’s laying it on the
line, messing with your head or doing both at the same
time, and that’s the secret to her success. That, and
that exquisite voice, which has taken on a darker tone
recently, with a gravitas that didn’t used to creep
into her often sidesplittingly funny lyrics.
Technically speaking, she’s a terrific singer with
soaring range and surprising power for someone whose
twangy timbre falls thisclose to cartoonish. That she
took that voice, ran with it and made it a thing of
such strange, unique beauty testifies to her smarts as
a musician (probably runs in the family: her dad is
saloon jazz legend Mose Allison, without whom Tom
Waits probably wouldn’t exist, or at the least
wouldn’t be so popular).
Like her criminally underrated previous album No
Frills Friend, this one is basically pop songs set to
jangly, mostly midtempo guitar rock arrangements, a
style Allison has mastered as she did country music,
ten years ago. The cd kicks off with Don’t Go to
Sleep, a jazzy pop gem that sounds like a dead ringer
for something from mid-60s London. The next two
tracks, Don’t You Know Anything and the album’s title
track highlight Allison’s knowingly wise, terse
lyricism. The fast, bouncy Out of Sight, Out of Mind
wouldn’t be out of place on one of her country albums.
Right about here, it gets dark in a hurry. The next
cut Troubled Boy, a snapshot of a (predictably)
failed romance between a couple of troubled people,
only hints at what’s to come. After that, Allison
takes no prisoners on the
what-on-earth-do-you-see-in-that-loser diatribe Have
You No Pride? Then the sun sinks under the horizon,
with Rose Red:
Snow White, Snow White
I’m Rose Red
Keep the wolf from my door
I will be a hothouse flower
And I’ll never go out anymore
It’s one of her most affecting and powerful songs, as
is the album’s centerpiece, the suicide anthem Turn
Out the Lights.
In my room
Far from the crowd
My bed’s a tomb
My quilt’s a shroud
I’ve had my fill
Of restless nights
I’d just as soon
Turn out the lights
It’s arguably her best song, an apt companion piece to
the equally haunting title track from her previous
album (sung from the point of view of a woman who’s so
lonely that she’s willing to go out with a guy who
literally won’t say a word to her). But just as
everything seems to be ready to fall into the abyss,
the album picks up with a rousingly guitarish cover
of Morrissey’s vitriolic classic Every Day is Sunday,
and concludes with a charming duet between Allison and
her dad on his song Was – peep her website for the
youtube video, http://www.amyallisonmusic.com
Amy Allison is hilarious onstage: if you haven’t seen
her you owe it to yourself, you are in for a treat.
Alan Young
http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/review-amy-allison-everything-and-nothing-too/
I noticed a couple of mutual friends in your list, Little Name from Liverpool and Evie Sands from LA. They're both terrific. I keep forgetting to give you the copy of Adam Marsland's new CD I picked up for you, whose band Evie plays in. Next gig for sure.
How many years must I wait for the new CD with all those great songs you've been playing lately?
Salutations from Austin! I was just talking about how amazing you are to some kids who have recently discovered bands like Parlor James and The Pogues (via the internet) Anyway, I hope you are well and wish you the best! Hopefully you'll play down here soon!
Hi Amy, thanks for your friendship. Love your music here. Hope you like my tunes as well. All the best and warm regards from the Philippines. Keep in touch.
Amy, How did it go at Banjo James's? Any chance of telling us what you played? Maybe a set list in your diary / blog. Just interested to know what you play live....bezzie wishes...
Troubled Boy reminds me of Myrna Marcarian of the Human Switchboard. She had this great pop sense. As a matter of fact, I just found out that in 2003 she put out a CD. It includes Ron Metz, the Switchboard drummer, as well as Bernie Worrell. I haven't heard it yet, but, since I already own all of your CDs, I think Troubled Boy has inspired me to pick up Myrna's!
Hey Amy, I am so happy to report that I sang your song "Sad Girl" last night when I was a guest at a favorite bar. Well, it is such a fun song to sing, isnt it? People really paid attention-I was surprised, as they are used to some pretty high energy stuff from the regular band. Love your song, and your great delivery! Thanks! I want to learn "Was" at some point as well, but it definitely needs a sweet listening room for that little gem. fx
Amy, the video of you and your Father doing "Was" is absolutely charming. I have Richard Bicknell to thank for my having found you. Love hearing your great songs, with your very individual delivery. "Sad Girl" is my current focus. fx
thanks for your sweet reply, just posted a new story in my blog space.virginia rappe. set up with a bulletin. eric taylor's new record hollywood pocketknife brought this memory to my surface. its not out yet but when it is get it. it is stunning. let me know what you think if you'd like.rb
Oh Amy- you were so good last night. We really enjoyed the show. I only wish you could've played all night. Afterwards I wished you had done 'Holding the Baby' or 'Everything but Nothing Too' or 'Was' Second show?? Anyway, you looked so cool too. It's going to be a beautiful day in Chicago, I hope you have a little time to look around. Thanks for coming again. You are really something!
