Mary Kaye Holt – Midnight Mustang
This is Ms. Holt’s 7th album, designed to paint a smile on the faces of old school country traditionalists. Her voice is pristine; her country accent is pure, & the music simply flows like a brisk cold stream over smooth rock. The songs were produced by Billy Davis & with the skill of some of Nashville’s best musicians, the sound touches upon Western Swing, to old world Hollywood, through the endeavor of ranching & cowboy culture. Something even a New Yorker can close their eyes & slip away in.
There’s plenty of energetic singing & music captured with what the genre is known for. It’s country music with a mainstream thrust, its commerciality is in check & it’s authenticity is revved high. The Texas-born Mary Kaye Holt does everything in a big way, mother of ten children & started to play the guitar at 38. So here are her latest results: 9 bristling & durable tunes that comprise Midnight Mustang (Dropped Oct. 23/Independent/32:18). It features Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Ernie Martinez (guitar), Steve Hinson (steel guitar), Cody Kilby (acoustic guitar), Rodney Ingle (horns), Merna Lewis (fiddle), Darla Perlozzi (drums), Tim Patterson (bass), Chip Davis, Micki Fuhrman & Tecia McKenna (bgv).
There’s no other vocal presence except for Mary Kaye, so she comes through with clarity. A late-bloomer artist, yes. But better late than never as proven on tunes like “Town Job” that has muscle, attitude & because of her ‘age” she sounds in charge instead of a follower. The songs are not silly country pop treading the country cornpone ideal. She totes the line of creativity here that’s admirable. Blues had Janis Joplin, punk had Patti Smith & rock had Grace Slick – well, country‘s old fashion recipe just found an award-winning country voice in Ms. Holt that’s inspiring.
“Along the Sante Fe Trail” is a dreamy, angelic ballad with whispery guitars & harmonica moving along an autumn dirt road at a slow pace at dusk. Among the trees & fallen leaves in a wooden creaky wagon. Love it. The band is lucid & summons all that is rich about country music when it’s done right. This is done right.
When a country singer like Ms. Holt bravely tackles a spiritual like “Amazing Grace” & a classic like Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” & pulls it off gallantly that’s an artist not just a singer. I’m impressed. I’m not a big country fan, but Ms. Holt transcends that tag. She embodies the music warmly like the scent of coffee, toast, & cinnamon oatmeal early on a cold winter morning. You know, like a mother of ten would. Shut off the lights, get your spoons — there’s one piece of pie left.
Highlights – “Happiness Is Right Where You Are,” “Town Job,” “Along the Sante Fe Trail,” “Midnight Mustang,” “Goodnight Rocky Mountain Moon,” “Amazing Grace” & “God Bless America.”
Color image courtesy of LCMedia press release. CD @ https://marykayeholt.com/product/1383485-midnight-mustang-physical-album-w-digital-download