Sister Act.
After a very Murray Christmas, when the country folk of supergroup Puss N Boots put a 'Dear Santa' EP out with the milk and cookies (and don't forget the carrot for Rudolph). A calender cycle after duetting with the 'Lost In Translation' actor of Sofia Coppola's heartwarming hotel prison purgatory, somewhere in a Winters New York fairytale. The spiritual 'Sisters' of Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper have given us a New Year we can all fall in love with this Valentines. Lovingly arm wrapped up from the cold like a scarf with the February 14th release of their debut album follow up. One which shows there's no such thing as no fun even with no fools in their future as they rearview away like Sarandon and Davis, tuning into Dolly in the country F.M. Station. The great 'Great Romancer' off their Yuletide seasonal sessions make it onto this cut too, as unlike Mariah all Puss N Boots still want after Christmas "is an answer". A Christmas chronicle gift from Chris Cringle like Kurt Russell that is Rat Pack right next to the stocking fillers of She and Him, Sia and John Legend's 'A Legendary Christmas' album that is candy cane gunning for Michael Buble's position uptop the tree. With the halfway house between an EP and full record LP, seven track 'Begin Again' last year, Norah Jones introduced us to a new Spotify age way of releasing music by the playlist pick. And now the diamond 'Come Away With Me' singer who has made records with everyone from Dangermouse and Jack White, to the Peter Malick group and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong for the Everley Brothers (with their classic cover album favourite 'Foreverly') brings us the sophomore set of her Puss N Boots supergroup like she already has with The Little Willie's (say again) of a Willie Nelson tribute band. And as the icon with almost as many collaborative records as fellow underrated one Ben Harper gets black and white atmospheric like the albums artwork at the back of a bar, this second act with her smoky siblings is all sister, sister, sister.
Six years ago 'No Fools, No Fun' debuting out the gates left London on a 'Bull Rider' for the 'Pines' and covered 'Jesus etc', 'Down By The River' for some lovely live takes. 'Sister' sits right next to that as a compelling, cohesive set which starts from the inspired instrumental of the classic 'Jamola' standard, before Puss N Boots' Jones, Popper and Dobson all take turns on taking the lead on the openings of the next three tracks. Norah on the instant vintage backroom, 'It's Not Easy' sings, "please stay on the line/and tell me what to do/if you break my heart/I'll do the same to you," for something that could 'Fall' right next to some of her fondest favourites from her deluxe discography. And if you thought that line was lasting there's 'Nothing You Can Do' with "found my direction/something I can keep above the ground and never lose my way again". They may have been fun...but is sounds like the fools really have well and truly gone. 'Lucky' like the gentle country strum and feather drum of "these days can rush away/don't look down/it's already gone/it's already broken." Wise words over a song that could pass you by like the Summer breeze that is just the Spring of a season away, even when we think we are all wrapped up in Winter. Time like nostalgia flies. Can you believe its been over a half decade since these boots walked towards getting together for their first album? Well between 'You and Me' and the smooth songs that play like they've always been around in the corner pocket of a seat next to the pool table, nursing a couple of smooth stroked fingers and a smouldering ashtray, it's like they've never left. Sounding so familiar as these songs we are only just hearing for the first time. Leaving their fingerprints on our old souls and smartphone playlists in this digital age still scratching for vinyl. 'You Don't Know' how good it was as Jones songs "I'm always in my head/it's the only place you are." For those legendary like lyrics that will always last like the legacies made before them in this country's bluesy genre, that from Dolly 9 to 5, to Cash ruling everything around us from Nashville to Tennessee is all about you and me and the love we share. Whether unspoken or sang out loud for everyone dancing with someone to love to hear on this lonely, open roadside. Take a motel break with 'It's A Wonderful Lie' and learn that even without this love you can "still get by on (your) own".
'Sister's' title track has Puss N Boots doing it for themselves as they pick each other up like a country version of Destiny Child's 'Girl'. "Sister there's a right from wrong/Won't you listen to my song/I can't let you go on", they sing. Together. For each other. Forever. Even if, "you can take my money/you can take my man". Nothing can keep this blue big three apart. Even the "busted heart" of 'The Razor Song' that cuts like a jagged edge, as they harmonise "these city lights are hung up like the stars/you'll hang your hat on anything that shines." Cutting a perfect picture of someone distracted by the big city and not the bright lights that wait for him a subway to the suburbs home. The beautiful 'Angel Dream' hauntingly watches over you like a "dream" and "lifeline" that's "drifting through space". "I saw an angel/I saw my face/I can only thank God it was not too late", Jones jonzes on some of her deepest and subtly darkest, stirringly written vocals yet. "What you do when you got no money/What do you do when the car breaks down/You don't cry/You don't cry," the Boots resolve on 'Same Ol' Bull####". But "no car, no phone, no money, no home, no man, no hand, no food, no school" it's not a case of new day/same s### for Puss. "You got to mellow out!" And then the ode to honey 'Joey' isn't a "how you doin'" to the 'Friends' star (sorry Matt LeBlanc), but one of the "Joey if you're hurting so am I", sweetest best. But who cares if it's greener on the other side because the classic closer shows 'The Grass Is Blue' for the blues outfit. As Norah nuances "I just can't make it one day without you/unless I pretend the opposite is true/Rivers flow backwards/Valleys are high/Mountains are level/Truth is a lie/I'm perfectly fine and I don't miss you/And the sky is grey and the grass is blue", can you think of an artist that amazes today that is so contemporary and compelling and paints a perfect lyrical picture, all whilst directly, straight to the heart of matters telling us like it is? Well how about her 'Sisters'? With the boots strapped back on just after Santa took his off, we only hope this Puss purrs at our porch before we fall into another Christmas like last. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Jamola', 'Angel Dream', 'The Grass Is Blue'.
No comments:
Post a Comment