Carla Bozulich - I'm Gonna Stop Killing

  by Jon Rogers

published: 3 / 3 / 2004

Label: Di Christina
Format: CD

intro

Enticing new collection of live and studio recordings from rising alt. country star Carla Bozulich, whose debut solo album 'Red Headed Stranger' was one of the major critical successes of last year

So-called alt-country has grown in popularity at a remarkable rate in recent years and a fine example of the genre is former Geraldine Fibber's Carla Bozulich. Her debut solo album 'Red Headed Stranger', her version of Willie Nelson's 1975 concept album, was a critical success as the Sunday Times voted it one of their albums of last year and even Nelson thought it was good enough to play on three of the tracks. To capitalise on that there's 'I'm Gonna Stop Killing', a collection of live and studio recordings solely for European release. Up first are two tracks from 'Red Headed Stranger' with 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' and the tear-jerker 'Can I Sleep in your Arms' with Nelson providing accompaniment. The remaining songs were all recorded around tours to support the album. The most delicate of which is a tender cover of Neil Young and Crazy Horse's 'Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)'. It's funeral procession pace is loaded with rueful recollection and some exquisite, sparse playing. Bozulich's hesitant vocal prevents it collapsing into a self-pitying dirge. Then when you've settled down comfortably to her mournful laments she throws in the oddball 'Outside of Town' from her days with Geraldine Fibbers. The first 6-minutes of which are some obtuse free form ramblings and just when you're completely losing interest Bozulich's voice kicks in as she reflects that she'll "never be nothing" and off it goes on another tale of loss and regret and some wild-eyed guitar histronics. Perhaps not so convincing is her version of Marianne Faithful's "Times Square". While Bozulich gives it a fair crack her voice perhaps isn't ready to match the whiskey-soaked husk of Faithful's been-there-done-that rasp. She does manage, though, to add an early-morning, bleary-eyed tone to the original.

Track Listing:-