There is an abundance of new recordings by talented female singers and songwriters. Here’s a closer look at five especially noteworthy ones:Carey Appel House of CardsBFM DigitalA
Intelligent, interesting stories about making mistakes and seeking empowerment are told in the well-sung songs of Carey Appel on her second album, House of Cards.
The straightforward arrangements and her clear, easy-to-understand vocal style allow the listener to absorb the thoughtful lyrics (Appel wrote nine of the songs with Marc Platt) that center on trying to understand and interpret women’s self-destructive behavior.
Subject matter includes the effect of forgetfulness on a romantic relationship, how always putting another’s needs first can wear a woman down, trying to understand a lover who continually pushes away, and the regrets felt by a single mother who did a less than amazing job of raising her children. Good stuff here that enlightens as well as entertains.
Hot tracks: “Wish I’d Been There,” “Preoccupied, ” “Wait and See.”Lori McKenna Massachusetts Liz Rose MusicA
Lori McKenna’s clear, confident voice and accessible melodies are expressive tools for exploring the sad, sometimes angry songs that make up the lion’s share of her sixth studio album, Massachusetts. Her lyrics are so poignant and memorable that you’ll find yourself singing along by the second listening.
The most heartbreaking is “Susanna,” a prayer for a widower who’s still suffering from the long-ago loss of his wife with this incredibly moving chorus: “Cause you never come back from a love like this/And I’ll never forget the taste of your lips/There ain’t nothing down here for the left behind/But a bed too big and too much time.”
If that leaves you in need of cheering up, consider “How Romantic Is That,” a realistic celebration of love over the years - which McKenna, married with five kids, says is the story of her life - with a chorus all couples will find inspiring: “You still want me, you still love me/you still lay there every night beside me/every time you walk away from me you come running back/How romantic is that?”
Hot tracks: “Salt,” “Make Every Word Hurt.”Ruth Moody These Wilder Things Red HouseB
Angel-voiced soprano Ruth Moody from Winnipeg, co-founder of the Wailin’ Jennys, opens her second solo album with “Trouble and Woe,” a wild Celtic storm of a song that sets a high bar for those that follow.
Moody wrote nine of the 10 songs in this collection, drawing on personal experiences and emotions. She also includes a delicate, poetic version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” that tones down the raucous hit to a more intimate, accessible level.
Artists making guest appearances on this likable recording are Mark Knopfler, Aoife O’Donovan of Crooked Still, dobro genius Jerry Douglas and co-Jennys Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse.
Hot tracks: “T drees for Skies,” “One Light Shining.”Melissa Ferrick The Truth Is MpressB
Songs about breaking up are much more likely to be fierce, passionate and feral than songs about falling in love. That’s the case with Melissa Ferrick’s The Truth Is, which documents the end of one relationship and the beginning of another. She has a lot of anger about the guy who cheated on her, that’s for sure, resulting in some brutal, honest lyrics that are almost chilling in their knife-edged despair.
The new-guy songs are upbeat and sincere, but they don’t have the punch or the staying power of the aggressive he-dumped-me material.
Recording in Boston with a full band, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist produced, arranged and wrote the 11 cuts, loading them with lush layers of pedal steel guitars and background harmonies. The recording was mixed in Alabama and mastered in Nashville, which feels like a good description of the overall sound; this album crosses a lot of borders.
Hot tracks: “Pity Song,” “Overboard.”Laura Ainsworth Necessary EvilEclectusB
“I only record songs I’m crazy about,” says Laura Ainsworth in an interview on the website allaboutjazz.com. “I sing like an old-style band singer, like Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney or Margaret Whiting, with sultry shades of Lena Horne or Julie London that come through because of the mezzo quality of my voice and also my choice of material, which leans towards the torchy.”
She interprets that material with a stylish swing and a wry humor; listening to the songs on Necessary Evil, you get the sense that Ainsworth, who lives between Fort Worth and Dallas with husband Pat Reeder and 16 parrots, is smiling as she sings.
Citing the young Judy Garland’s supple voice as her model, Ainsworth glides through classic jazz material with elegance and just enough flair to set her apart.
A mix of cynicism and longing is found on her version of “Just Give Me a Man” when she sings: “He can drink his bad bad bad whisky ’til it runs from each pore/Fills up the house, breaks down my front door/I’ll take all my money, go out and buy him some more/Ooh-ooh-ooh, just gimme a man!”
It’s the pop music of the past.
Hot tracks: “The Gentleman Is a Dope,” “The Lies of Handsome Men,” “My Foolish Heart.”
Style, Pages 32 on 06/25/2013