Angela Desveaux & The Mighty Ship - Wandering Eyes (Album)
The second time I played Angela Desveaux's debut album to one of my friends they remarked that it was growing on them. I had a similar reaction: the first listen was a little unmemorable but with repeated spins the friendship slowly began to blossom. The album, Wandering Eyes, is the latest recording to arrive on the alt-country scene. Within this broad genre the Canadian born singer's sound seldom strays from the territory well trodden by Gram Parsons and Lucinda Williams, both oft-cited influences on her music.
Her voice not is not particularly arresting or ground breaking. But it is simple, beautiful and honest; at times aching without being nasal. This quality can best be heard in the slower songs such as "If Only" and "Make up your Mind" as opposed to the upbeat autoharp-infused tracks such as "All the Talk" and "Familiar Times".
Desveaux writes her lyrics in true country fashion and consequently are mainly concerned with affairs of the heart. The most poignant example of this being the song "Sick of Fools" which shares thematic and lyrical zeitgeist with Bjork's "5 years". She observes that "it's not the love that hurts, it's the search for more" and then in the chorus reveals that she is "sick of fools who say they want and then they can't handle love."
The minimalist production is undertaken by early (AM) Wilco collaborator Brian Poulson who rightfully has put the instruments second to her frequently double tracked voice in the mix. Her band includes fellow Canucks Mike Feuerback (Snailhouse) on guitar and Harris Newman on bass and Bostonian keyboardist Jesse Levine. They support the four-chord songs well and never steal the show. Feuerback contributes a few crunchy solos keeping well away from the country "twang" which could have been forgiven for a record of this style.
Desveaux's songwriting leans more toward airy pop-country than the rawness of recent Johnny Cash or Loretta Lynn releases. However, it is a pleasant effortless album to listen to at the end of the day or on a rainy afternoon.
