No Sinner - Old Habits Die Hard

by Kimberly Bright

published: 16 / 6 / 2016

Label: Provogue
Format: CD

Often likeable but clichéd 70’s-influenced hard rock from No Sinner, the project of Vancouver-based one-time child actress Colleen Rennison

Review

Rock frontwomen have not been very prevalent in the past decade or so, overshadowed as they have been in indie pop music by dance divas, thoughtful but vulnerable songwriters, wispy dryads, powerful performance artists, and vengeful Celtic nature spirits. There is nothing ethereal about Vancouver blues-rock quartet No Sinner’s Colleen Rennison. (No Sinner = Rennison backwards. Clever.) She firmly takes up the rocker torch most recently guarded by Grace Potter’s guttural howl, with nods and whiskey toasts in the direction of Melissa Etheridge, Alannah Myles, Robin Beck, and Pat Benatar, not to mention swaggering 1970’s frontmen like her crush Robert Plant or Free/Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers. Trotting out the usual comparisons to Janis Joplin and Etta James simply won’t do. Rennison started out as a child star in Canada, thankfully not from the Disney and Nickelodeon mills, and went on to appear in science fiction television shows such as ‘Stargate SG-1’ and ‘The Outer Limits’ and Hollywood films such as ‘The Story of Us ‘and ‘Boot Camp’. Like The Pretty Reckless’s actress-turned-singer Taylor Momsen, she was a longtime music fan who finally turned her attention to her second career as a singer in Vancouver’s rootsy rock and roll revival scene. Rennison’s lack of musical training didn’t prevent her feral talent from surfacing, with ‘Classic Rock Magazine’ describing her as “an early contender for ball-breaking warrior princess of 2014.” She does not listen to contemporary music at all, and talks about her love of Motown and 1970s classic stadium rock, particularly Led Zeppelin, with great reverence. ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ is No Sinner’s second album, with the evolution since their debut ‘Boo Hoo Hoo’ being, as Rennison puts it, “It’s like the difference between your high school grad photo and your first mug shot.” But with all the line-up changes in between the two releases plus Rennison’s solo album of cover songs by North American artists, it is clear that No Sinner is really a solo artist with a backing band more than a fully formed band. After all, Rennison is the one featured prominently on the cover, with one man, presumably a band member, peeking out from behind her. The album was recorded in Canada, but could easily have been shaped at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama. Rennison’s persona and voice, especially when she rips into ‘When the Bell Rings’, brings to mind Jesse James Dupree from Jackyl. The songs seem promising, but by the end of the album one can’t shake the feeling that something is missing. Her band is entirely capable, and the production skills of Ben Kaplan (who has worked with Shakira and Rise Against, among others) can’t be faulted. The album’s weakness lies in the songs. Rennison deserves better material. There are entertaining rock and roll clichés galore: booze, illicit longing, dirty sex, fast cars, being on the road, and general randiness. All of this is to be expected, of course, and should work just great; however, the songs still fall short. There are plenty of good musical moments: ‘Hollow’ is reminiscent of a Guns ‘N Roses power ballad but with a lot more soulfulness, and both ‘Lines on the Highway’ and ‘Leadfoot’ are extremely likeable road songs. ‘When the Bell Rings’ thrashes out nicely at the end, with Angus Young-like guitar work and Rennison’s dynamic power. The not at all subtle ‘Get It Up’ unfortunately sounds like it was taken from the soundtrack to a Lifetime TV movie about a doomed rock star, in the manner of an updated ‘The Rose’, but maybe without the fatal overdose. ‘Mandy Lyn’ could have been the album’s highlight, but….isn’t. Rennison’s voice remains top-notch, from whispery naughtiness to full-throttle scream, but the lusty raunch falls flat. The resolution to the building tension is that she and Mandy Lyn are going to, well, “howl at the moon.” The song is probably better experienced live, when it can be improved with Rennison’s gritty charisma in person, headbanging and dancing in her down-to-earth Daisy Duke cut-off jean shorts, beer in hand. Hard rawk fans hungry for new music will appreciate ‘Old Habits Die Hard’, and hopefully Rennison powers through to a better third album. Rock on.

Track Listing:-

1 All Woman
2 Leadfoot
3 Tryin
4 Saturday Night
5 Hollow
6 Get It Up
7 Friend Of Mine
8 Fading Away
9 When The Bell Rings
10 Lines On The Highway
11 One More Time
12 Mandy Lyn
13 Wait
14 I Know It's A Sin
15 Slippin

Band Links:-

http://nosinner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NoSinner/
https://twitter.com/nosinnermusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/nosinnerm
https://www.instagram.com/nosinner/
https://www.songkick.com/artists/45289