India Ramey – Villain Era
Someone likes westerns. India Ramey gets off to a dusty happy trail’s to you start with music reminiscent of “Ghost Riders In the Sky” & stuff like Marty Robbins’ LP “Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs,” with the 1959 hit “El Paso.” India’s tunes are originals & not covers. The decisive current captured here is genuine & despite the retro tang it’s refreshing in the way the remarkable & distinctive voice of the Brooklyn Cowgirl, Mimi Roman/Kitty Ford (she used 2 identities) unleashed her dynamics. It’s here in India Ramey’s traditional glory with twang & ambition evident.
The opening tunes are all strong C&W bait, but “Six Feet Under” adds a touch of noir through its haunting melody & Spanish-flavored tempo. The LP encompasses 10 tales from the Villain Era (Drops May 8/Copaco/Blue Elan Records/32:38) produced by Eric Corne (harmony /bgv) & recorded in L.A. & Encino, CA.
A hat tip to the Kitty Ford identity of Mimi Roman (Kitty was a more suggestive singer) comes India’s “Cryin’ In My Lingerie.” The humor keeps the momentum moving with a firm, entertaining grip. There’s fine guitar work, simple but precise drums, & musicians who definitely understand the genre. Despite the topics, India never tips her hand into a novelty musical glue trap…no hee-haw hokum.
She seems to know when the humor is enough & turns to unify her set’s statement with strong numbers like the upbeat “Nobody’s Coming.” The songs aren’t wholly commercial or mainstream, but catchy, memorable slices of old country music that still have muscle. Lines like “the thing about quicksand, it means to take you down,” are old-fashioned country creative.
India’s voice is excellent & enthusiastic – OK, she’s not Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, or Tammy Wynette, but she’s breaking out of a country egg of her own & what a musical omelet she makes. She even rocks out rockabilly style (like Mimi Roman) with “Dead To Me,” a superb track. While I’m not keen on songs like “Cult Money,” this has a Dolly Parton playfulness.
The band is tight as lug nuts on a rusty pick-up truck wheel. “Red, Red Roses,” & “Ghost Town” both drift into an Iris Dement rootsy assimilation, & India is smooth. She would’ve been a great duet partner with John Prine.
Good photos & there’s lots to like in this collection. Lots.
Highlights – “We Ride At Dawn,” “Welcome To My Villain Era,” “Scattered & Smothered,” “Six Feet Under,” “Cryin’ In My Lingerie,” “Nobody’s Coming,” “Dead To Me,” “Cult Money,” “Red Red Roses” & “Ghost Town.”
Musicians – Haley Spence Brown (harmony vocals/bgv), Chris Masterson (acoustic & electric guitars), Eugene Edwards (electric guitar), Ted Russell Kamp (bass), Bob Bernstein (pedal steel), Eleanor Whitmore (violin), Jordan Katz (trumpet) & Kevin Brown (drums/percussion).
A folded lyric insert is included. Cover photo: Amber-Eye of Doll. CD @ Bandcamp/Apple/Amazon + https://www.indiaramey.com/ & https://blueelan.com/products/villain-era-cd
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: REVIEW: India Ramey “Baptized By the Blaze”