In case you were wondering, country music isn’t all about crusty old men in cowboy boots and style-challenged middle-aged women with theme parks named after them (sorry Dolly, we love you, but really…) It’s one of the most honest, powerful and provocative genres of music, and with young whippersnappers like Siobhan Parr making it all their own, it’s set to stick around for a long time after the likes of electro-clash and screamo have been lost in the dismal vaults of the NME archives. ‘Discovered’ at 14, Siobhan has already worked with Alabama 3 (the band guest on the album) and impressed the mighty Evan Dando with a support slot on his tour last year. And with debut album ‘Repeat To Fade’ she is one delicate quiver of a throaty vibrato voice away from convincing the world to think again about country as a genre – just like Beth Orton did a few years back.
Unlike Ms Orton’s offerings though, producer John Reynolds (Bjork, Sinead O’Connor) takes a refreshingly light-handed approach to Siobhan’s lyrical musings. The twangy echo of slide guitar here and there is just enough to keep her on the country side of alternative, but with cheeky gems like Lose My Dress and a cover of the brilliant ‘Buzzin’ Fly’ (Tim Buckley) she hints at a subtle departure from tradition which will surely develop with time.
The Joker is smooth like a neat Jim Beam and bittersweet like an indulgent weep on a dreary winter day while there’s a youthful gutsy edge to Siobhan’s elastic voice that’s more than a little suggestive (Lose My Dress, Woman I Am) and will save her from tearjerker compilation disgrace.
Innovation stops short of a couple of funky drum samples and pedal FX – overall though ‘Repeat…’ is the sound of someone putting Siobhan out there and letting her voice do the work.
It’s enough to convince me she’s worth watching.