Southern Gothic Country to make your spine tingle
I first encountered Brigitte DeMeyer a couple of years ago when she shared a stage with legendary guitarist Will Kimbrough (who co-wrote 10 of the 13 tracks here alongside Ms. DeMeyer); and while I remember enjoying her performance; sadly she was over shadowed by Kimbrough who the majority of the audience had come to see, and salivated every time he touched his guitar.
Subsequently I’ve bought a couple of her albums and quite enjoyed them; so approached this latest one with great interest; and to say I’ve been surprised would be a huge understatement.
As soon as I heard Kimbrough’s opening National Steel chords on first track Savannah Road, my ears pricked up and when Brigitte’s sultry voice purred something about ‘rows and rows of peaches and weeds of purple,’ work came to a standstill, and I was transported to the ramshackle veranda somewhere in the Deep South as the sun sets over the horizon.
Every single song tells a story that will captivate the listener; and if one song sums up the mood; it’s probably Simmer Rightwhich is a deceptively simple tune and set of lyrics about cooking a Gumbo; until you hear it over and over again and the layers peel away; leaving you with something very special indeed.
Two tracks I keep coming back to are Home Ground which is worthy of Emmylou at her very best; and the Wurlitzer infused Honey Hush; both of which deserve National radio play.
Build Me a Fire is a shimmering thing of rare beauty and when you know that the song is actually about the singer’s Mother’s struggles in Europe during WWII; you will struggle fight back the tears.
Whereas Brigitte DeMeyer’s previous offerings are Country tinged singer-songwriter fayre; SAVANNAH ROAD is dipped in molasses, rolled around in cotton, then left to dry next to a still in the backyard of a smoky roadside diner and could be a contender for my album of the year.
www.brigittedemeyer.com
BDM/Self-release
Released May 19th 2014
The Rocking Magpie 