Grey DeLisle - Borrowed

by Julie Cruickshank

published: 20 / 2 / 2023

Label: Hummin' Bird Records
Format: CD

intro

Eclectic covers album from American singer and voice artist Grey DeLisle

Chances are you’ve already heard singer Grey DeLisle’s voice, one way or another. She is American animation history’s most prolific voice artist, performing in shows such as ‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Scooby Doo’. San Diego born, DeLisle’s credentials include a grandmother who sang with Tito Puente; and her acclaimed early albums include ‘Homewrecker’ and ‘Iron Flowers’. DeLisle is back after a 15-year hiatus with a new album of covers, aptly titled ‘Borrowed’. A wide-ranging and diverse collection, the opening track ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, the famous Pink Floyd song written by Roger Waters, takes on a brooding, menacing tone; DeLisle’s voice is both haunting and halting over an accompaniment of electric and acoustic guitars, strings, horns, drums, mandocello and autoharp. Laid-back renditions of ‘Tonight You Belong to Me’ and ‘Georgia on My Mind’ are followed by an original song penned by DeLisle and producer/fellow musician Marvin Etzioni, ‘Borrowed and Blue’, a gorgeous country track incorporating lovely pedal steel from Greg Leisz. DeLisle’s voice is most suited to rich, drawn-out country music stylings; it tends to quiver and quaver on most of the album’s other tracks. Marc Bolan’s ‘Girl’, though an interesting choice, does not work so well, sounding a little directionless. ‘You Are the Light’, written by Marvin Etzioni, wraps sinuous mandolin and fiddle around DeLisle’s fluttering vocals to beautiful effect. The outstanding track on ‘Borrowed’ is ‘All My Tears’ written by Julie Miller, a short but sweet rendition in a folk-country style, featuring Murry Hammond on guitar, Greg Leisz on mandolin and Tammy Rogers on fiddle. Grey DeLisle has, in ‘Borrowed’ showcased her versatility in both singing and musicianship. An eagerly-awaited album of original songs is expected later in 2023.

Track Listing:-

1 Another Brick in the Wall
2 Tonight You Belong to Me
3 Georgia on My Mind
4 Borrowed and Blue
5 Girl
6 You Are the Light
7 You Only Live Twice feat. The Satellites Four
8 Calvary
9 Valentine
10 All My Tears
11 Willie We Have Missed You