Country for True Lovers (Zedtone, 2003)
Eleni Mandell
Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
Just when monotony threatens, Mandell smartly changes the pace. Her cover of Merle Haggard's "I've Got a Tender Heart" clearly shows that Mandell can belt it out with sincerity when she sings about being "rough and ready." Ditto for "Tell Me Twice" with backing vocals from Tony Gilkyson, who also produced, and "You're All Bad (And That's Why You've Been Invited)." At times, Mandell is more jazzy than country. "It's Raining"falls within that framework, but maintains a country feel thanks to pedal steel. Mandell's voice is well suited to both the uptempo and slower pace, although a few times she sounds like she hit a sour note.
A few Left Coast players like drummer Don Heffington and guitarist Gilkyson keep the music moving in the right direction. Mandell's previous three albums apparently were more akin to PJ Harvey than country and did not give her a very high profile. This ought to.
CDs by Eleni Mandell
©Country Standard Time • Jeffrey B. Remz, editor & publisher • countrystandardtime@gmail.com
About • Copyright • Newsletter • Our sister publication Standard Time