'Painting Blue' is the latest release from Louisiana's Amy LaVere. It features material written with her husband and guitar player, Will Sexton. This new collection of music finds her work as sharp, revealing, and honest as ever.
Opening with a cover of John Martyn’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Know’ followed by original composition, ‘No Battle Hymn’, LaVere quickly establishes ‘Painting Blue’ as a record that’s worthy of attention. There’s no escaping the anti-war message of both songs here, but it’s the differing musicality of both that really stand out. Within the space of two songs, LaVere crosses genres from brooding guitar-filled samba to radio-friendly melodic rock.
Peer pressure is the subject of the Bossa Nova inspired ‘Girlfriends’ before LaVere changes style once more on the tongue-in-cheek, soul-tinged ‘You’re Not In Memphis’.
LaVere’s understanding of rhythm and ability to shift between styles so effortlessly probably comes from her skill as a bass player. Overall, the record feels heavily influenced by soul, Americana and folk. Producer and guitarist, Will Sexton is the unsung hero of the album. As well as contributing lyrics with LaVere, his production work on the album is masterful. Ranging from the string-infused, multi-layered ‘Painting Blue’ to the stripped back acoustic ‘Stick Horse’, the music is always to the fore, yet never overpowering as it augments LaVere’s lyrics and vocal.
A stripped-back, haunting cover of Elvis Costelloe’s ‘Shipbuilding’ has a weary beauty about it as it looks at the false economy of war. The emotional impact of ‘No Room For Baby‘ is devastating as LaVere uses it to deal with the winding down of her biological clock and the choices she has made that means she has given up on being a mother.
Amy LaVaere’s choice of music for this collection is inspired. Her vocal style deceptively hints at uncertainty and vulnerability, but her songwriting shows a stronger emotional, political, and social awareness that’s similar to recent releases by artists such as Gretchen Peters, Kelly Steward, and Ana Ege.
‘Painting Blue’ is a work that’s simply brilliant.