| Sweet Talk & Good Lies - Heather Myles | |
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Reviewed by Kathy Coleman
Heather Myles has a no-nonsense, take-charge, solid country voice not heard on country
radio in over a decade. With a firm, powerful alto that commands attention, Heather takes on
solid honky-tonk country music with a muscle that only a few female singers have dared. She
does not approach her subject in the tentative, flowery fashion that is all too common these days.
She bangs open the door of the bar and demands attention.
From the first track, the solid "Sweet Talk & Good Lies," it's obvious Heather is not
going to be warbling about the perfect love filled with perfection in a perfect life. This isn't
cookie-cutter diluted pop which has been over-distilled for syrupy sweetness. No, this is about a
woman who falls for a handsome cowboy's lies and while she might regret it, she knows it's just
gonna keep on happening every time he two-steps into her life. But it's in the second track that
Heather lets us know exactly where she's coming from, and how she thinks. "Nashville's Gone
Hollywood" tells it like it is, and that's the truth. When you hear lyrics like "They'll put you in
the movies/you'll have your video. And if you're young and sexy/you'll be rollin' in the dough.
Seven million records sold/that must mean you're good. Move on over, Ernest Tubb/Nashville's
gone Hollywood" you know the bitter feelings of many country singers who refuse to fit into the
Nashville make-over mold.
To demonstrate her true country cool, Heather teams with Dwight Yoakam in a classy, fun
little duet called "Little Chapel." All throughout this disc, Heather displays a mighty songwriting
ability as well as her strong vocals; she writes all but two of the 13 songs, the final two excellent
and surprising covers of classics "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Cry Me A River." She
weaves words that are sharp and witty to melodies that are by turns bright and upbeat or
mournful and laced with dripping sorrow. "Big Cars" pays tribute to the wonderful street barges
of a bygone era; she teases cheerfully with "One and Only Lover"; she handles the sweet
delicacy of "The Love You Left Behind" with a gentle cry in her voice that speaks poignantly of
the pain. Sweet steel drips delightfully throughout the fun two-stepping "If The Truth Hurts."
The notes on the back of the disc says that she gives a nod to the independent spirit of
forebears like Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn. I agree. While I wouldn't say she's a "female
Merle Haggard," she certainly has his attitude; and I haven't heard a girl singer take on topics
like this since Loretta Lynn or perhaps Tanya Tucker. Powerful and still wonderfully feminine,
this is what a female country singer ought to sound like.
Also joining Heather on this disc are long-time Yoakam backup players Taras Prodaniuk
on bass, James Christie on drums, Skip Edwards on keyboards, Scott Joss on fiddle and
mandolin, and my personal favorite living steel player, Gary Morris, handling the awesome
pedal steel. It is produced handily by Michael Dumas and Heather herself, without a lot of
heavy-handed post-production.
This tremendous disc is a must-have for country music lovers. It has definitely inspired
me to try out some of her earlier work.
Song List:
Album cover, used with permission of Rounder.
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