Based in Louisiana, Country queen Esther Rose's new LP You Made It This Far is destined for many, many end of year critics best of lists. It doesn't arrive until August 23rd but Esther has trailed a couple of much lauded tracks ahead of time. For a little while now, we've been stuck on the irresistible, lyrically and musically exquisite, 'Handyman'. It should've alerted y'all already. We've all had handymen afterall. Well haven't we? (Hey! Send in your unexpurgated asides from your personal handyman stories, we want to hear them). Digression it's a mood killer, so here's a little audio diversion...
Take's a little elbow grease
And some spitshine...
You measure twice before you make the cut
Sharpen up your knife so it won't hurt too much...
(from Handyman)
Before she plays a note, before she sings there's everything oh so right about Esther Rose. Look at Esther's choice of guitar. A person would be tempted to travel back in time to Kalamazoo Michigan to pick up one of those beauties and then smuggle it past customs into this century. And back through customs into the past century to get it into the UK.
Anyway, now a video for a second single from the record, Only Loving You
When she plays, when she sings the sound you hear is the frisson you felt when you first heard the likes of Laura Cantrell, Telisha Williams of the Wild Ponies, Lucinda Williams and, way back when country greats, like Patsy Cline. Hearing Esther Rose is like hearing those Voices for the first time time every time. And you know, heard best before your friends tell you about it. Because soon enough they will.
Well. Two trips down Louisiana way in a week... Something must be going right in the water down there. The esoterically lovely Musuemgoer, charmed and thrilled all at once at end of last week. And now, I guess while we we're digging round for more info on Father Daughter Records singer, underground r'n'b star, Tasha, happenstance brought us to the release date for You Made It This Far. And what's going on with Father Daughter Records, wtf, they just release whatever they want. I love that. Anyway. The advent of You Made It This Far is the best news I've heard since, well... I don't hear a lot of good news really but really don't let that diminish your desire to get into the true and nascent greatness of Esther Rose.
And the sun's out over Bearwood. Great day indeed.
Esther Rose Online
Father Daughter Records
photo: Rush Jagoe
