Music review: Lauren Jenkins – 鈥橬o Saint鈥�
鈥淣o Saint鈥� heralds the arrival of singer-songwriter Lauren Jenkins. For her debut, the gifted songstress crafts 10 absorbing tracks about life, love and heartache with country, pop and Americana leanings, making her a new artist on the rise.
鈥淕ive Up the Ghost鈥� is the invigorating album opener that finds Jenkins making an impassioned plea for her lover to surrender the memories of another to the past and focus on what they have together in the present as she sings, 鈥淏ut two of us is one too many.鈥�
The title track is a moving declaration of being unable to forgive someone for their transgressions as the pain runs deep and self-doubt clouds the ability for clear thinking with Jenkins confessing, 鈥淚 know that you鈥檙e sorry, I feel it in your touch/But that don鈥檛 make me forget all the damage done.鈥�
Heartache and recovery are prominent topics on the drinking tunes 鈥淧ayday鈥� and 鈥淢y Bar.鈥� Told from a woman鈥檚 perspective, both arrangements highlight the lonely details about drinking away the pain one paycheck at a time at the local watering hole.
鈥淢aker鈥檚 Mark and You鈥� continues the string of bad habits that Jenkins simply can quit. It鈥檚 an evening full of Maker鈥檚 Mark and Marlboros with the intention of temporarily forgetting the hardships associated with a broken heart that simply refuses to heal.
鈥淐adillac鈥� and 鈥淩unning Out of Road鈥� explore the need to hit the highway with a full tank of gas and no particular place to be in the hopes that a fresh change of scenery will shake the ghosts that haunt the heart.
鈥淏lood鈥� serves as the dark final number that describes the pain of watching a close friend slowly waste away from the use of drugs and alcohol and being unable to stop the inevitable as Jenkins declares, 鈥淩ipping all your veins out won鈥檛 change a thing/Painting angels black won鈥檛 wash away your pain/Dying is no way to prove we鈥檙e not the same.鈥� It鈥檚 a great example of the vivid pictures Jenkins is able to create by penning strong messages that trigger a variety of emotions.
Jenkins will make an area appearance on June 21 at Jergel鈥檚 Rhythm Grille in Warrendale.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.