Cina & The Fireflites – Good Ol’ Music
The band’s name isn’t spelled incorrectly; it’s Fireflites (almost missed that myself). This C&W fortification is out of the songbook of a country singer who had two names in her career. One for the more traditional country fare (Mimi Roman) & another for her tangy material (Kitty Ford). Rooted in a country tradition maintained with quality by the likes of George Jones, Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn & Tammy Wynette. It seems this music is quite popular in Sweden because Cina Samuelson (vocals/bgv) has met & has been photographed with some Nashville giants & she covers many of their classic songs brilliantly.
There are 12 tracks on Cina’s Good Ol’ Music jukebox (Drops August 14/Tuten Records/32:08) produced by Berra Karlsson (pedal steel, lap steel & acoustic guitars/tic-tac bass/bgv) & recorded in Mariestad, Sweden (some instruments & harmony vocals recorded remotely).
Set aside the geographical distance & clean the wax out of your ears. You’ll hear an authentic country artist with all the right intonation, range & tone of the classic ‘50s & ‘60s country artists. There are a few of the aforementioned names, as well as Brenda Lee, Diane Renay, Sue Thompson, Robin Ward (aka Jackie Ward) & Sandy Posey (some were backup singers for Elvis). Cina is filled with all the vocal ingredients, postures & instincts that make for a genuine American country chanteuse…from, uh…Sweden.
Some tunes unleashed on this brimming showcase include songs by Mel Tillis, Webb Pierce, Willie Nelson’s “These Days” is marvelous, Grady Martin, Charlie Rich, & Don Gibson. The musicians apparently are seasoned in the retro sounds of Country music not only from another country but another time. Despite the retro-ness, nothing is rendered campy or retro. Good music doesn’t have to make the walls shake. At no time is Cina wide of the mark in her approach to this music. She’s on the money, in the ballpark, & understands the genre with expertise.
“Rules of Love” is a judicious rockabilly piece with Cina’s sweet voice but not sugarcoated. Her country balladry aches like Timi Yuro, Jody Miller & Bonnie Guitar on “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time.” Well played, melancholy but no downer. Piano notes fall as raindrops & guitars wind around like a breeze. Cina could sing easy-listening, middle-of-the-road standards & some lite-jazz too. Her vocals are engaging & her performance: masterful. “Be Glad” & “I Know I’ll Lose Again” are superb.
Highlights – “Three Days,” “You Belong To Me,” “Snap Your Fingers,” “Right Behind You Baby,” “Thank Heaven For Sending Me You,” “Rules of Love,” “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time,” “Give Myself a Party,” “Be Glad,” & “I Know I’ll Lose Again.”
Musicians – Erik Lindstedt (drums), Orjan Wressel (upright bass), Stickan Lindell (piano), Andreas Carlsson-Vahland (electric & acoustic guitars/tic-toc bass), Malin Samuelson & Dan Edinsson (harmonies/bgv), & Johnny Samuelson (fiddle).
Cover image courtesy of Emelie Samuelson. CD @ https://cinasamuelson.se/ & https://www.hemifran.com/artist/Cina%20&%20The%20Fireflites/