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Carolyn Wonderland (from the album Tempting Fate available on Alligator Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
Carolyn Wonderland uses her words to reflect her beliefs in album opener “Fragile Peace and Certain War”, the track leading the way for her recent release, and Alligator Records debut, Tempting Fate. Her political stance strides onto Tempting Fate, Carolyn Wonderland crediting the leather soles that keep her strutting with “Texas Girl and Her Boots”. While words can color in parts of Carolyn Wonderland, her mastery of the strings courses across the Dave Alvin-produced album like a Blues/Roots river. A lonely concertina echoes softly through “Crack in the Wall” bringing a hint of the border to the Texas Blues ballad, keeping the Tex-Mex combo playing in the melody of Billy Joe Shaver’s “Honey Bee”. Carolyn Wonderland began showcasing her talents playing her bare-fingered, no picks-style in Houston, Texas at 15 years old. Moving to Austin at the urging of Doug Sahm, she quickly developed a following, releasing the first of her six previous album in 2001. She just concluded a three-stint as lead guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, giving a hint of her touring days with the band by covering Mayall’s “The Laws Must Change on Tempting Fate. A heavy beat is the foundation for Carolyn’s shout and guitar fire in “Brokenhearted Blues” while a Blue Jazz sparkle lights up “On My Feet Again” and a barrel roll piano backs the steamy Blues slathered across “Fortunate Few”. Tempting Fate closes out with two covers, featuring a duet with Jimmie Dale Gilmore on the Country Blues of Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”. Entering Jerry Garcia’s “Loser” on the rattle of dice, the song is soundtracked with thunderclouds of Outlaw Folk Rock that explode with lightning burst guitar riffs and pounding rhythms heralding the sky-seeking cries and low moans of Carolyn Wonderland as she exits the album. (by Danny McCloskey) Listen and buy the music of Carolyn Wonderland from AMAZON Please visit the Carolyn Wonderland website for more information Spotify EMBED: <iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5SOM73TJ4GOm9mFzmhaKUv" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
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