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Avg: 4.0 (116 ratings)
- Date Released: January 9, 2007
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Swing, Contemporary Folk, Jazz Vocal
- Label: Nettwerk Records
A Tin Pan Alley throwback exposes Rod Stewart as a slouch.
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We Say...
Erin McKeown is a precocious singer-songwriter from Massachusetts with a crystal-clear voice and an ear tuned to the pre-rock era. Her best work leans heavily on Tin Pan Alley, with light, intellectually ferocious pop that lyrically touches on subjects like Hitler's Berlin or, more bloodcurdlingly, Judy Garland's audio diaries. Sing You Sinners, the 28-year-old's fifth solo album, delves even further into this era. With the exception of one original composition, "Melody," all of the songs were written between 1930 and 1956. These aren't the classics of the Great American Songbook: Mostly, McKeown has selected non-iconic works by giants like Mercer ("Something's Gotta Give") and Arlen ("Get Happy"). The singer is wise enough to resist the temptation to dramatically update the songs or to read them too faithfully, leading her small combo with skillful breeziness. The strategy serves two noble goals: It kicks life into hoary songs, and it exposes Rod Stewart as a world-class slouch.
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They Say...
With the rise of the Hollywood extravaganza and the ensuing decline of vaudeville, American music lost much of its kick and joie de vivre. However, with her album Sing You Sinners, Erin McKeown sets forth to single-handedly resurrect the wayward cast-offs of Americana and return them to center stage, but with a sparkle and humor that is a poignant reminder of an age long gone. Today, "Get Happy" is probably the best known song on the set, famously delivered onscreen by Judy Garland, but McKeown and her backing trio, further buttressed by a horn section, turn the song inside out, threading it through myriad musical styles, from its champagne piano intro across the shifting sands of jazz, into R&B and rock & roll, and out into '60s surf. In just over three minutes, "Get Happy" gleefully dances its way through three decades of music styles. "Paper Moon" is an equal classic, but now shines over the Caribbean in its new reggae-fied calypso gladrags. And of course, jazz fans will instantly recognize Fats Waller's "If You a Viper," but McKeown's vampish version is built around not piano, but her banjo and a walking bassline. Anita O'Day's "Thanks for the Boogie Ride" rode off in big band style; in contrast, McKeown drives it straight into rockabilly. Cole Porter's elegant "Just One of Those Things" now ebbs and flows between moody jazz, darkly ambient Bristol Sound (à la Massive Attack), and brooding surf. McKeown herself contributes one song to the set, "Melody," an exuberant, ragtime rave-up dedicated to the glories of melody itself. And it's melodies that McKeown loves, so she never disrespects them, showcasing each one's enduring qualities, while simultaneously creating stunning new musical backdrops for them. Bar "Melody," the songs all date between 1930 and 1955, while the arrangements travel even further afield, from the '20s into the '60s, capturing virtually the entire range of popular musical styles along the way. It's a toss-up whether McKeown had more fun with the arrangements or her vocal performances, but the entire set is imbued with a sparkle and a whimsical sense of humor that is absolutely infectious. In all the best ways, McKeown makes every one of these songs her own, most notably "Rhode Island Is Famous for You," so much so, that some fans mistakenly believe McKeown wrote the 1948 number. You'll never think of a cover song in the same way again, and to have created an entire set of such inspired versions is sheer genius indeed.
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| 01. |  |
Get Happy |
3:03 |
|
| 02. | |
Paper Moon |
2:07 |
|
| 03. | |
Cou Cou |
2:14 |
|
| 04. | |
Melody |
1:40 |
|
| 05. | |
They Say It's Spring |
4:40 |
|
| 06. | |
I Was A Little Too Lonely (You Were A Little Too Late) |
2:23 |
|
| 07. | |
Sing You Sinners |
2:12 |
|
| 08. | |
Rhode Island Is Famous For You |
2:46 |
|
| 09. | |
Something's Gotta Give |
2:21 |
|
| 10. | |
Just One Of Those Things |
5:09 |
|
| 11. | |
If You A Viper |
4:19 |
|
| 12. | |
Thanks For The Boogie Ride |
2:17 |
|
| 13. | |
Don't Worry 'bout Me |
3:56 |
|
13 Total Tracks, 39:07 Total Length
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Credits
- Eric Bloom - Trumpet // Danny Bernini - Engineer // Frank Olinsky - Design // Merri Cyr - Cover Photo // Dave Chalfant - Mixing // Erin McKeown - Banjo // Erin McKeown - Guitar // Erin McKeown - Director // Erin McKeown - Singer // Erin McKeown - Producer // Emily Lazar - Mastering // Mark Chenevert - Clarinet // Dave Harris - Trombone // Dave Harris - Horn Arrangements // Todd Sickafoose - Bass (Upright) // Allison Miller - Drums // Sam Kassirer - Organ // Sam Kassirer - Piano // Sam Kassirer - Clapping // Sam Kassirer - Wurlitzer // Bryna Gootkind - Photography // Rita Houston - Interviewer
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