The album opens with "Compensation," which has country and rock elements, and tells the story of a couple who married when the woman was young ("too young," Peggy James sings). And soon there are children, and soon after that there is trouble. "You took her heart and you broke it in two/Sitting at the table with the meal prepared/She said, don't worry, children, daddy will be here/You used to be her lover and her best friend too/But the fire in the whiskey got to you." It's interesting how she refers to the man in the second person, but the woman in the third person, something that keeps us on our toes while we listen. It makes us wonder just who the song's narrator is. Perhaps the woman she is singing of is herself, but she is trying to distance herself at least somewhat from what was a bad experience. Her younger self is like a different person to her now. I love that electric guitar part. That song is followed by "There Must Be Gold," which is the track to feature Vic Span on drums. "I will always try/To live up to you/To live up to you," Peggy James sings at the beginning of this one. The track contains some nice vocal work. There is something pretty about this one, particularly in that vocal performance. At the end, she sings, "I will always love you/Always love you/Always love you." And we can hear it in her voice.
From there, she changes directions, delivering a lively a bluesy country number titled "So Over You." Here her voice has more attitude, more power, like she has a razor in her boot or something. Not that she'll need it (her voice is weapon enough), but she's ready. "I'm never crying over you again/Not a tear will be shed/I'm much better off all by myself/Go find somebody else/You can't hurt me no more/Because I am so over you." This one too features some good stuff on electric guitar. Then "First Kiss" is a character song, about a man that some called "nothing but a drifter" who "traveled the rodeo circuit." She begins to describe her personal connection to him, and it becomes a song of a woman's youth, leading up to her first kiss. There is a gentler vibe to this one. "He was no rhinestone cowboy/He was the real deal, one of a kind/Sometimes he would smile in my direction." And I love this line: "And if he broke my heart, I wouldn't mind." Then at the beginning of "Eyes On The Horizon," she sings, "He went from rags to riches/Then riches back to rags." Yes, this is another character song, but also one of traveling, which is always so appealing. "Took a trip across the country/From east to west/Camping underneath the stars." This song has a great, full sound as it builds. "His eyes on the horizon, his options limitless/And he knows he'll never live that way again/But at least he can say he did it once." Those are the lines that really set this song apart from other songs of travel. Most of us don't know we won't live that way again. Songs of travel make me yearn for the road again (though a road that would take me through the past, for the present is so awful in this country).
There is a bit of a Byrds flavor to "A Walk With You" as it starts. There is a sweet, pretty vibe to this song, and a lovely innocence to its sound and lyrics. "Hey, I know you don't know me/But I live right here/And if you ever get lonely/I would love to take a walk with you." Then "Loneliest Girl" comes on with a force, that initial moment. This one tells the story of a girl whose family moved around a lot, making her always "the new girl in town." I am glad I had a rather stable childhood. "Had to say goodbye to her friends/Had to start all over again." This is another line that stands out: "Giving up on fitting in." That's followed by "Stuck On The Track," this one more strongly in the country realm. It's one of those wonderful sad country numbers. "Saturday morning couldn't come too soon/All week long I've been fighting these blues/Since my darling left, I don't know what to do/I'm just trying to bandage up these open wounds." This is such a good number, in which she asks for advice on forgetting the one she loves.
"Till I Turn Blue," the album's title track, immediately establishes a very cool atmosphere and sound. "Now I finally see through this deception/I know who exactly who you are/I should go and have you arrested/Lock you up and throw away the key." Oh yes. We each might have someone specific in mind when hearing those lines. "Nobody's safe as long as you're free." This track features one of the album's best vocal performances. Plus, there is some excellent guitar work. Really, everything about this one works perfectly, and it's one of my personal favorites. Peggy James then goes into the folk realm with "O. Winston Link." She begins this one with a question: "Have you heard of a man named O. Winston Link?" The answer, for me, was no. But by the end of the song, I knew something about this man, a photographer who focused his work on the railroads. It's a beautiful song. "At a crossing with the full moon behind." And it's followed by another beautiful song, "You're Still The Highlight," a love song that features a passionate, gorgeous vocal performance. "I don't know if I told you/Though I really meant to/I wonder if you realize/That, darling, you're still the highlight of my life." This track also features some really nice work by Gary Tanin on keys. Later in the song, she sings, "I just want to hear you say/That, darling, I'm still the highlight of your life." The album concludes with a powerful number titled "Isn't Anybody Coming?" in which she sings, "Our city's falling, the walls are crashing down/And all our people have gone underground/The glass is breaking, it's a terrifying sound/Mothers, hold your children close/Here comes, here comes another round." She then asks, "Isn't anybody coming to our aid?"
CD Track List
- Compensation
- There Must Be Gold
- So Over You
- First Kiss
- Eyes On The Horizon
- A Walk With You
- Loneliest Girl
- Stuck On The Track
- Till I Turn Blue
- O. Winston Link
- You're Still The Highlight
- Isn't Anybody Coming?
Till I Turn Blue was released on June 27, 2025 on Happy Growl Records.
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