Music review: Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer – 鈥楴ot Dark Yet鈥�
When two engaging singers like Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer join forces, you can certainly bet that the result is going to command your undivided attention. Both singers caught my attention on two previous releases.
Lynne鈥檚 sultry vocals were mesmerizing during her tribute to Dusty Springfield on 鈥淛ust a Little Lovin'鈥� released in 2008, while her 2010 duet with Peter Wolf on 鈥淭ragedy鈥� remains one of my personal favorite tracks by both artists.
Moorer鈥檚 鈥淒own to Believing鈥� from 2015 simply blew me away with the singer-songwriter鈥檚 engaging confessional that examined her experiences concerning love, acceptance, heartache and healing.
With 鈥淣ot Dark Yet,鈥� the talented sisters deliver their first collective effort together. The new album finds Lynne and Moorer adding their own distinct Southern harmonies to nine covers from artists such as Townes Van Zandt, Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan and Jessi Colter as well as a moving original track.
The Killers鈥� 鈥淢y List鈥� opens the album with a stirring sense of love and vulnerability and seamlessly transitions into the heartbreaking and fragile interpretation of the Louvin Brothers鈥� 鈥淓very Time You Leave.鈥�
Dylan is well represented on the title track and Colter鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 Looking for Blue Eyes鈥� is eloquently performed.
However, it鈥檚 a cover of Nick Cave鈥檚 鈥淚nto My Arms鈥� that steals the show with a haunting, honest and beautiful tone crafted by the sisters on this tender love ballad.
With the abundance of great material covered, there is one song that appears oddly out of place and out of the comfort zone of Lynne and Moorer.
Kurt Cobain鈥檚 鈥淟ithium鈥� is one of my favorite Nirvana numbers, second only to 鈥淪mells Like Teen Spirit.鈥� Cobain鈥檚 gritty vocals fueled the dark lyrics of self-loathing and depression. Unfortunately, the latest revision fails to completely capture the desperate feelings of alienation and isolation detailed by Cobain. It鈥檚 a minor hiccup with Lynne and Moorer quickly rebounding on the lone original track 鈥淚s It Too Much.鈥�
The deeply personal arrangement penned by the sisters expresses years of dealing with the tragic loss of their parents and the emotional scratches and scars that still remain. The song is Lynne and Moorer at their very best and begs for both sisters to continue to collaborate on more material moving forward.
鈥斺赌�
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.