published: 25 /
6 /
2005
Label:
Cooking Vinyl
Format: CD
Superb sixth solo album from former Lone Justice front woman,Maria McKee
Review
'Peddlin" Dreams' is Maria McKee's sixth solo studio album following on from her work with her former L.A. based band Lone Justice, whose first two singles had tracks written especially for her by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty
On the cover of this CD Maria looks very moody and now has black hair, which, while giving her a Goth appeal. I don't think suits her very well. 'Peddlin' Dreams', like her previous albums, is co-written by her bass player and her husband, Jim Akin.
It opens up with 'Season of the Fair' which is an acoustic based ballad with a lovely vocal. It is a song that was originally written twenty years ago when Maria was in Ireland and hanging out with Robbie Robertson of The Band.
'Sullen Soul' follows. Written by Jim,it has a country rock feel. The vocal is sulky and sober, and of the type that Maria has become famous for in her delivery.
'Turn Away' again has a country twang to it, but is more stripped down. 'Peddlin' Dreams' is much deeper and slow and has a heavy Southern Gothic feel to it.' My One True Love', another Jim composition, is again very stripped down.
Country number 'People in the Way' shows McKee at her best. It is uplifting, energetic, soulful and, almost church-like in its intensity, manages to be anthemic without sounding preaching to the unfaithful.
'The Horse Life' is stripped down and innocent-sounding and has some of the charm of both the 'Grease' soundtrack and also the early slower songs of the Smiths.
'Drowned and Died' is very slow and very sad and Southern Gothic at its best. 'Appalachian Boy' is slow and acoustic with a commanding vocal, while 'Everyone's Got a Story" is a Crazy Horse style sing-a- long ballad.
Maria then covers Neil Young's 'Barstool Blues' from his 'Zuma' album which here is based around a piano . 'You Don't Know How Glad I Am' is a Patsy-Cline influened ballad. and this ends yet another fine album by the girl who was once the step brother of Bryan Maclean of Love.
Track Listing:-
1
Season Of The Fair
2
Sullen Soul
3
Turn Away
4
Peddlin' Dreams
5
My One True Love
6
People In The Way
7
The Horse Life
8
Drowned And Died
9
Appalachian Boy
10
Everyone's Got A Story
11
Barstool Blues
12
(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am
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