Robison, Willis team up for new CD

Translated From Love

Absence really must make even a musical heart grow fonder. This is Kelly Willis' first release in 5 years, and there are 12 reasons presented here as to why that was too long to wait. Some female vocalists search for songs that will adequately show off their pipes. Willis displays that she now only has one of the top voices in the genre, but the versatility to take on all stylings with equal aplomb. Six songs were co-written by Willis and producer Chuck Prophet. "Sweet Little One" ...

Easy

Kelly Willis' second disc for Rykodisc, the first recorded expressly for the label, expands on the wealth of musical expression divulged on her previous release, "What I Deserve." This follow-up, however, trades the urgency of 1999's outpouring for a more relaxed expression. It's as if Willis realized that Rykodisc signed her for who she is, not, as her previous label (MCA) supposed, who she could be fashioned into. Ironically, the pressure of capitalizing on the success of "What I Deserve" has ...

What I Deserve

Six years after her last studio release; almost three since an EP that was supposed to be a taste of things to come on a different label; and over a year since its actual recording was completed, Kelly Willis has a new album out. This release continues in the direction presaged on the *Fading Fast* EP, and the results - more varied than the country-based sound of her first three albums - presumably reflect Willis' expressed determination to exercise more control over her sound and recording experience. ...