Melissa Carper – Borned In Ya
For those who like grammatically correct stuff the LP name is from a quote from bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley: “I don’t think you can get this sound unless it’s borned in ya.” That’s good enough for me & Melissa Carper jumped on it like a rodeo gal jumps into a saddle.
There are 12 tantalizing tunes conceived for Borned In Ya (Drops July 19/Mae Music/Thirty Tigers-The Orchard/39:45) produced by Andrija Tokic & Dennis Crouch (upright bass). The Nebraska native Carper (vocals/bass) appears as an artist who was weaned on the country diversity of Patsy Cline & Loretta Lynn, Elvis & Hank Williams with detours into Billie Holiday, Sinatra & Ella Fitzgerald. But Ms. Carper has vocal sway, laid-back phrasing & good vocal instincts.
To compete in country/bluegrass with a modern edge you need to absorb influences from outside those genres & apply liberally & turn the contrast into a usable showcase. While Melissa’s voice is a bit quirky (in a Dolly Parton way) the soulfulness added to the title track makes it original & slicker than standard mainstream country. The Ray Charles-type piano lifts the tune.
Melissa hovers around a k.d. lang/Michelle Shocked depth with a similar appeal in her approach. There are all whiskies, but Carper has flavor. It’s an edgy quality. Vocals are an expression – not just a voice. She has sensitivity & makes no concessions to commerciality. Singer Valerie June also has a similar peculiar tone—a superb originality.
Melissa has that rich vintage retro-like tonality, fluid, delicate & if producers added a little scratchiness could create a 78-rpm classic antique mood as the wonderful work of country-jazz chanteuse Lee Morse from the late ‘20s/early ‘30s (“If You Want the Rainbow,” “A Million Me’s”).
With “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” Melissa drifts into a mid-‘60s country ballad style similar to tunes by Jody Miller, Sue Thompson & Brenda Lee. Some lean into novelty but they’re not painful. They’re Dolly Parton playful. There’s an easy listening reverence to some – almost supper club/cabaret/torch & twang in nature. “Let’s Get Outta Here” is deep in a Peggy Lee mode (“Why Don’t You Do Right”). Excellent stuff.
Musicians – Jeff Taylor (piano/organ/accordion), Chris Scruggs (guitars), Chris Gelb (drums/percussion/vibraphone), Jenn Miori Hodges (rhythm/bgv), Billy Contreras (fiddle), Doug Corcoran (saxes/trumpet), Rory Hoffman (guitar/whistling), Rebecca Patek (strings/string arrangement), Kaitlyn Raitz, Laura Epling, Carl Larson & Matt Combs (strings), Kyshona Armstrong, Nickie Conley & Maureen Murphy (bgv), Sierra Ferrell & Larry Marrs (b/u vocals), John Pahmer (piano) & Matty Meyer (drums).
Highlights – “Borned In Ya,” “Somewhere Between Texas & Tennessee,” “Lucky Five,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “Evil Eva,” “There’ll Be Another Time,” “Let’s Get Outta Here,” “That’s My Desire” & “Waxing & Waning.”
Front cover & color image by Aisha Golliher. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.melissacarper.com/about
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Melissa Carper “Ramblin’ Soul”
