- A
- A
- A
The Twangtown Paramours arrive on their long-awaited third album with some new twists along with the expected high-caliber songwriting, arranging, and deeply felt vocals Mike T. Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer trademarked on their first two long-players. That they’re expanding the well-honed folk- and blues-inspired Americana of their earlier efforts is evident right off the bat, when the album opening, southern soul-drenched title track sprints out of the gate with a greasy backbeat, tasty, understated guitar, and pumping horns backing Ms. Zamer’s no-nonsense vocal emphasizing her willful commitment to sticking with a ne’er-do-well. In a beautiful bit of sequencing, she lives to regret her decision in the very next track, “That’s What the Blues Are For,” a deep southern blues featuring gospely Wurlitzer support by Dave Keyes bolstering Ms. Zamer’s self-lacerating, irony-rich enumeration of the many ways love, but not the blues, has failed her. There’s something a bit different around every corner, from the funky, topical “Talk About Peace” to a beautiful soul-drenched ballad, “I Miss Who I Thought You Were,” with Lewis’ rare lead vocal note-perfect in exploring “the ashes of the fire” left in the wake of lost love. No matter the style, the Twangers wear it quite well.
By David McGee
More articles from this editorRead Next From Music
Igor Levit: Fantasia
- Mar 26, 2024
Madlib: Shades of Blue (Madlib Invades Blue Note)
- Mar 22, 2024
Betty Davis: Crashin’ from Passion
- Mar 19, 2024
The Replacements: Tim: Let it Bleed Edition
- Mar 15, 2024