3 Pairs of Boots – Mighty Love
Excellent production values. The first track gets out of the starting gate with “Leap of Faith” & its powerful musical sonics all the way. An infectious melody & though it’s somewhat of a standard melodic romp it has weight – wonderous musical weight with incipient coolness. The musicians have a veneer like Lowen & Navarro had (“Cry”) & the best of Fleetwood Mac — they project with fluidity & cohesiveness. Just a wonderful performance.
Vocalist Laura Arias has a bit of a Cyndi Lauper vocal approach but she’s far more settled in Americana soil. It’s quite impressive. The California-based husband & wife team of Andrew Stern & Laura are 3 Pairs of Boots.
They exude energy even in the slower tunes & it’s all sustained by the flavorful melodies that merge plaintively with the vocals & acoustics. “Mighty Love,” gives a listener a sample of what Fleetwood Mac would sound like if they added banjo & came from the mountains. An ambitious album.
Produced by Andrew (stringed instruments) the 12-cut 46-minute CD Mighty Love (Drops Sept 2-Dark Country) is a hybrid of countrified Fleetwood Mac splendor but they don’t leave out the rock-inspired grit. Presented in an absorbing fashion & always with diverse blends. What is also vital is the unique vocalizations of Ms. Arias who actually sings with tones of other singers, but the end result is wholly her own – her originality & her soulfulness.
Some songs have a vintage 60s country song feel (“Just Call Him Love”) that is often tempting with catchy melodies & sticky lyrics that stay in the mind. This is filled with sparkling deliveries. It isn’t all pop country though — since none of the songs are mindless exercises in repetition. The songs each have their own identity. Some focus solely on Laura’s vocals, some soar with lead guitar, but nothing is cooked too long.
Laura isn’t Brenda Lee or Allison Krauss but on a cover of Tom Petty’s “The Waiting,” her voice hovers in Martha Wainwright territory. Nice ambiance & drizzles with angst with instinctive feeling. Sometimes covers don’t always fit in an artist’s album – its momentum is interrupted, or it just doesn’t fit the scenario. But the Petty song is tapered to fit perfectly & the CD never misses a beat.
Followed by the serious “Labor Day,” which has spirit & a superb arrangement. “Daybreak,” at times sounds like something folk rock singer Melanie Safka (“Lay Down, Candles In the Rain”) would’ve done.
Musicians – Randy Cooke (drums), David Cohen (keyboards) & Greg Perkins (background vocals).
Highlights – “Sweet Spot,” “This and That,” “One Day At A Time,” & “Ghosted,” (both excellent),
Photo courtesy of their website. CD @ https://www.3pairsofboots.com/