Lovely Melancholy (Looseground, 2001)

For a band made up of former Boston area rockers, this debut from Lucky '57 displays a good feel for rootsy country music.

Lead singer Kip McCloud's husky vocals are reminiscent of Lucinda Williams (who inspired McCloud's conversion to country) and Moonshine Willy's Kim Docter. McCloud also makes her songwriting debut with "All the Places (You Hide Out)," a rocking tale of a relationship gone bad, and "Done," a similarly themed Tom Petty style ballad.

Guitarist Rustle Chud contributes the Beatlesque "Lee's World," while Vermont songwriter Tinker Lee Taylor supplies the band with four originals. A pair of interesting covers are "You Don't Miss Your Water," recorded by Gram Parsons in the '70's and punker Johnny Thunders' "Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory." Complementing McCloud's vocals and Chud's Telecaster are Sue Metro (lap steel), Lil' Phil Magnifico (bass), and Todd Foulsham (bass).

With this impressive debut, co-produced by David Minehan (Paul Westerberg, Aerosmith), Lucky '57 effectively merges country passion with pop-rock energy.