The Waymores: “Greener Pastures” (2023) CD Review

We’re all looking for greener pastures, I suppose, and The Waymores are here to provide them on their new album. The Waymores are led by the duo of Willie Heath Neal on vocals and guitar and Kira Annalise on vocals.  Greener Pastures, their third album, following last year’s Stone Sessions, features a mix of covers and original material. In addition to Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise, this release features Dave Pearlman on steel guitar, Johnny Lee Schell on lead guitar, James Hutchinson on bass, Terry Wilson on bass, Phil Parlapiano on piano, and Tony Braunagel on drums, with Maxayn Lewis providing backing vocals on a couple of tracks.

The album opens with a cover of Buck Owens’ “Under Your Spell Again,” featuring some wonderful work on pedal steel. These guys do a great job with this song, delivering it as a duet. Oh yes, the joy of being under someone’s spell is clear in their delivery. May we all experience that. “You’ve got me dreaming those dreams again/Thinking those things again.” In addition to pedal steel and their great vocal work, this track features some nice work on piano. Terry Wilson plays bass on this track. In “Under Your Spell Again,” there is the line “Well, everybody tells me that I’m a fool.” So it seems fitting that that song is followed by one titled “Flashbacks Of A Fool,” which begins with them singing, “I’m a fool, I’m a fool, I’m a fool, I’m a fool.” This is an original number, and it’s a fun one, and includes some hand claps. Again, there is a joy in being a fool, isn’t there? “But it’s hard to close a door/That you keep swinging back and forth/Coming and you’re going and running around/Well, I have found that/All the memories of you/Are the flashbacks of a fool.”

It’s still kind of unbelievable that John Prine is gone. But I am glad he left us with so many excellent songs, including “You Got Gold,” which The Waymores cover here. Willie Heath Neal takes lead vocal duties at the beginning of this one, and it is delivered as a duet. This is a song that John Prine included on his The Missing Years album, which was released in 1991 and is one of my favorites. The Waymores give us a sweet rendition, raising my spirits. “You got gold/Gold inside of you/Ah, but I got some/Gold inside me too.” And toward the end they sing, “Ah, but we got gold/And the gold inside is true.” The Waymores have also covered John Prine’s “In Spite Of Ourselves.” “You Got Gold” is followed by “Time To Ramble,” a seriously delicious country number about being ready to roam. It is an original composition. “Time to roam, time to ramble/I’ve had all that I can handle.” Sure, it’s about a troubled relationship, but even if you’re not in such a relationship, the appeal of rambling is high, and so the appeal of this song. There is even a brief spoken word section in the middle, and there is more great work on pedal steel guitar.

Then we get the album’s title track, “Greener Pastures.” This one too is about roaming, but here it’s not a matter of one person leaving the other, for at the beginning they sing, “Let’s go find ourselves in a greener pasture/You and me in a greener pasture.” Amen to that. Why is it that leaving is always so appealing? Do we all have wanderlust, or is it that no place has quite all we desire? Kira Annalise sings, “Well, I will go if you go with me/When I leave this place, no one will miss me.” There are times when I love Los Angeles, sure, but I am often eager to get the hell out of town. So I love these lines: “This old town is a disaster/Let’s go find greener pastures.” This is a fun tune, written by Willie Heath Neal, Kira Annalise and Johnny McGowan. That’s followed by a really nice cover of Marty Robbins’ “Don’t Worry.” The steel guitar plays a prominent part on this track, and is a big part of its appeal. This track also features some wonderful blending of voices. Plus, there is some good work on piano.

One of the album’s best tracks is “But I Don’t.” Its first line, “If you had a heart, this song would break it,” caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud the first time I listened to this disc, as did the one that follows it, “But you don’t, so I pretend, I pretend we’ll make it.” This duet has something of a John Prine vibe, and I just love it more and more each time I listen to it. “Half of a heart don’t make much of a song.” That’s followed by “Hill Country Waltz,” a pretty number written by Johnny McGowan. “Laughing and dancing with someone new/To our favorite song like we used to do/Now I’m crying again/To the Hill Country Waltz/My sweetheart is gone/And everything’s lost.” I love the sadness in Kira Annalise’s delivery. She gives an excellent vocal performance. Then “She’s Gone” comes racing in, with a bit of a rock and roll vibe. This is another fun track, and I love that work on piano. “You can’t always choose the road you’re on.” Indeed. These guys then encourage us, “Somehow hold on.” The album wraps up with “Tavern Time.” Ah, it is always tavern time, isn’t it? And this song is as welcoming as your favorite local pub. “My gal split last Sunday/I’ve been blasted since past Monday.” Yeah, there is a certain humor to this one, especially heard in the line “Where the beer flows like wine.”

CD Track List

1. Under Your Spell Again
2. Flashbacks Of A Fool
3. You Got Gold
4. Time To Ramble
5. Greener Pastures
6. Don’t Worry
7. But I Don’t
8. Hill Country Waltz
9. She’s Gone
10. Tavern Time

Greener Pastures is scheduled to be released on August 25, 2023 on Chicken Ranch Records, and it is going to be available on vinyl as well as CD.

Beth Bombara: “It All Goes Up” (2023) CD Review

It’s been four years since the release of Beth Bombara’s last album, Evergreen. That album came out before the pandemic. Remember that? Feels like another lifetime, doesn’t it? Well, she is now back with a new album. Titled It All Goes Up, this one features all original material, written or co-written by Beth Bombara, and some of that material does come out of the pandemic, reflecting on that time and on what has come out of it. We have learned a few things, haven’t we? And there is certainly that sense to these songs, and thus an optimism about the future contained and expressed in this music. Time rushes on, and so we move on as well, applying what we’ve learned to creating a better world. Or, at least that is the hope. Beth Bombara plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar and mellotron on this album. Joining her on this release are Kit Hamon on bass, synthesizer, percussion and backing vocals; Mike Shurk on drums; Sam Golden on strings, electric guitar, mellotron and backing vocals; Samuel Gregg on pedal steel and electric guitar; Eric Henry on pedal steel; Karl Kling on 12-string guitar; and John Calvin Abney on electric piano and electric guitar.

The album opens with “Moment,” in which Beth Bombara sings, “Feels like everyone’s screaming for my attention/I want to tune it out for a little bit/I want to tune it out for a little bit longer.” I am guessing I’m not the only one who really appreciates those lines. We need to slow down, try to focus on the moment, on our immediate surroundings. It is certainly not easy, particularly as so many people and organizations demand our attention and our time. This song has a rather soothing quality that should help us do it, heard especially in her beautiful vocal approach and of course that pedal steel work. That’s Samuel Gregg on pedal steel on this track. That’s followed by “Lonely Walls,” a song that comes out of, and relates to, these strange times we find ourselves in, particularly the pandemic. Check out these lines, which begin the song: “I’m still waiting for the sun to shine/For the world to return to something I recognize/I’ve been patient/How much more can we take?” That time of isolation was so difficult, and not made easier by the crazy politics and division within this country, and many of us re-evaluated our priorities during that longing. “I just wanna be with the one that I love,” she sings here. And that was the conclusion we came to, that our loved ones are the most important thing. And I love her vocal performance here. We hear a weariness, a longing, a sadness, but also hope in her delivery. Her voice expresses what we all felt, not just in the lyrics, but in the very sound of her approach. And there is a rather pretty instrumental section at the end. This is one of my personal favorite tracks.

“Everything I Wanted” has a different sound, a different feel, a pretty pop vibe, bringing to mind certain artists from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Linda Ronstadt and Christine McVie. This is a song about appreciating what we have, and it features some nice work on guitar. This one was written by Beth Bombara and Kit Hamon. “Rolling up my sleeves, ‘cause I look around and everything is broken/And I’m not here just to sit around and watch a slow erosion.” Then the first lines of “Get On” stand out for me: “Put off until tomorrow what you can’t do today/Tomorrow comes and goes while we’re just slumbering away.” I find time speeding past while I can’t seem to accomplish nearly as much as I want to, and I doubt I’m alone in that. And no matter what we do, or don’t do, time rushes on. So, as this song encourages, we have to get on with our lives. “You’re not fooling me or fooling time.” Eric Henry delivers some good work on pedal steel, and Karl Kling plays 12-string guitar on this track.

“Carry The Weight” is a song that reminds us we are not alone, that we can reach out when we need help. And who doesn’t need help these days? “Hello, I just wanted to check in/Would you pick up the phone/I’ll be over with open arms/You’re lonely but you’re not alone.” Beth Bombara’s vocal approach has a friendly feel, fitting with the lyrics. Sometimes we just need to hear that we’re not alone; sometimes that’s all it takes. This song was written by Beth Bombara and Kit Hamon. “Curious And Free” was also written by Beth Bombara and Kit Hamon. This one has more of a folk vibe as it starts, featuring a strong vocal performance, supported by acoustic guitar. Then, after a minute or so, other instruments come in, including some really good percussion and some moving work on strings. This one too addresses the way time moves: “The harder that I try, the faster time slips by/And I can’t seem to steady my hands.” It is another of the disc’s highlights.

“Give Me A Reason” comes on strong, with a powerful but melancholy sound, which is exactly how life has felt in the last several years, like a depressing force that can’t be ignored, a force that seems prepared to crush us. Then Beth Bombara’s voice comes in, and we naturally latch onto it, beauty emerging from a storm. “As we hang in the balance of the dark and the light/Can you give me a reason?” This is a striking song, written by Beth Bombara and Kit Hamon. Its last line, “I let you in every time I breathe out,” is such wonderful final line. Then when “Electricity” kicks in, it is like a glorious, beautiful pop song. This song provides the album with its title in the lines “I lose my head and it all goes up” and “Who really wins/When it all goes up.” The instrumental section features some excellent work on electric guitar. That’s followed by “What You Wanna Hear,” which has a relaxing sound, interesting considering its first lines, “Can we skip the part where we start yelling/Like banshees on a bender all across the town.” I also love these lines: “I’ll tell you what you want to hear/Doesn’t mean that I’m insincere/Honestly I want to believe it.” The album concludes with “Fade,” which has a different sound, with John Calvin Abney joining her on electric guitar and electric piano. “A reminder when I start to lose my way/Close my eyes and I still see you shining/Don’t let your fire fade.” This song (and thus the album) ends with a heartbeat.

CD Track List

1. Moment
2. Lonely Walls
3. Everything I Wanted
4. Get On
5. Carry The Weight
6. Curious And Free
7. Give Me A Reason
8. Electricity
9. What You Wanna Hear
10. Fade

It All Goes Up is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2023 on Black Mesa Records.

Saltwater Hank: “G̱al'üünx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi” (2023) CD Review

Saltwater Hank is a singer and songwriter based in British Columbia, and a member of the Ts’msyen (sometimes spelled Tsimshian) people. From what I’ve heard of his recordings, the traditions of music are of particular importance to him, as he’s explored the origins of folk and country, even in his original material. His new release is something truly unusual and special, Titled G̱al'üünx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi, this album is delivered entirely (or nearly entirely) in Sm’algyax, the Ts’msyen language. Some of the tracks are traditional Ts’msyen songs, while others are original compositions by Saltwater Hank. And one of them is a Hank Williams cover, delivered in Sm’algyax. Again, this album is something special. Saltwater Hank plays both guitar and fiddle, focusing on guitar on this release. Joining him are Liam Meivor on lap steel and bass, and Danny Bell on drums, with Chloe Nakahara joining on fiddle on a couple of tracks.

The disc opens with “Uks Yaan K’ask’oos,” one of the traditional pieces. It is a very short piece delivered a cappella. That is followed by an original composition, “Ba’wis,” which features a compelling vocal performance. This track builds, taking on a power, and toward the end, Saltwater Hank’s vocals take on more power as well. This track also contains some good work on guitar, and is one of my personal favorites. “Dm Yootu Stukwliin” is another original composition. This one has more of a playful, light vibe, with a familiar country sound, including some really nice work on lap steel. It’s interesting, for it’s easy to get caught up in the music and completely forget that you have no idea the actual words he’s singing. Then when he begins to sing in English toward the end, that comes as a surprise. It’s a surprise that he’s singing in English, and it’s a surprise what he’s singing. “Now there’s a lot of rabbits in Nanaimo/And I am feeling very hungry.” I wasn’t expecting that at all. “I’m going to barbecue the rabbits/At the university.”

“Ndo’o Yaan” is a traditional number, delivered as a fairly fast-paced country number featuring more good work on lap steel. This arrangement is by Saltwater Hank, and there is a good deal of attitude in the vocal work and in the playing. He then moves back to original material with “Waaba Gwasoo,” which has a slow waltz feel. I love Saltwater Hank’s voice, particularly when he dips into his lower registers, as he does here. This is a totally enjoyable song, another of the disc’s highlights. “Liimi Maḵ'ooxs” is another original composition, and this is one that will likely get you up off your seats and dancing around. It has a delicious rhythm, and includes some seriously fun work on guitar. Plus, this is one of the tracks to feature Chloe Nakara on fiddle.

Then we get the Hank Williams cover, “My Sweet Love Ain’t Around,” here listed as “Akadi K'uł Waal Nsiip'nsgu.” This is a song that Hank Williams released on a single in the late 1940s. Saltwater Hank does a really good job with it, and this is the other track to feature Chloe Nakara on fiddle. If you’re a Hank Williams fan, you’ve got to check out this rendition. Then Saltwater Hank plays fiddle on “‘Nii Wila Waalt,” as well as guitar. It is an original number, and this one has a fairly serious, strong sound, more of a rock sound and power. Yet the lyrics, according to the translation, are about picking berries and harvesting seaweed, following the ways of the ancestors. I would not have guessed that. The disc concludes as it began, with a short traditional piece delivered a cappella, this one titled “Goosnł Waals Noon.”

CD Track List

1. Uks Yaan Ḵ'a̱sḵ'oos
2. Ba’wis
3. Dm Yootu Stukwliin
4. Ndo’o Yaan
5. Waaba Gwa̱soo
6. Liimi Maḵ'ooxs
7. Akadi K'uł Waal Nsiip'nsgu
8. ‘Nii Wila Waalt
9. Goosnł Waals Noon

G̱al'üünx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi was released on July 1, 2023 (Canada Day).

The Scooches: “Lift You Up” (2023) CD Review

The Scooches, who used to be known as Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, is a band based in New York City and led by the husband-and-wife team of Nick Russo and Betina Hershey. They put out their first album, Very Next Thing, in 2016, and followed that in 2018 with Get Us Out Of Fearland. Now they are putting out their first album under the newly shortened name. Titled Lift You Up, this disc features mostly original material, the music combining elements from several different realms, including folk, jazz, bluegrass, reggae, soul, and even rap. The band is made up of Nick Russo on guitar, resonator guitar, slide guitar, banjo, piano, organ and electric bass; Betina Hershey on vocals and guitar; Harvey Wirht on drums and percussion; and Miles Griffith on vocals. And they are joined by many guests on various tracks, including Dr. David Pleasant, who plays drums and percussion and adds vocal work on several tracks.

The album opens with its title track, “Lift You Up.” There is a kind of sweet introductory section, in which Betina Hershey sings, “Every day when I wake up I look for the sound of the hope for the future.” And then the song itself, when it kicks in, seems to provide that sound with its reggae rhythm and vibe, and the bright feel to the vocal delivery. It is a sound that is designed to make you feel good, fitting with the repeated line, “I lift you up.” And there is some playful vocal work in the second half. I also like that guitar work. Russell Hall plays electric bass on this track, delivering some groovy work. The band then turns to more of a folk sound at the beginning of “Let’s Grow Our Roots Deep And True,” with a bit of a bluesy thing happening. Very cool! Then, after a minute or so, it kicks in, taking a turn, becoming like a barn dance, with some nice work on fiddle and percussion. “Let the calm fin’lly come/We’re struggling, but not more than some/Reach for me, I’ll reach for you.” Things are still kind of crazy out there, and more than ever, many of us have re-evaluated our priorities. And of course what came out on top? Relationships, love and family. And that’s what we need to keep in mind while we face our various troubles. This is one of the tracks to feature David Pleasant. Also joining the band on this one are Angela Workman on vocals, Kenny Kosek on fiddle, and Len Monachello on vocals and jaw harp.

They then give us a song titled “Stop This Climate Change,” and the energy of this song tells us it is possible. This track features a really good rhythm. I especially love the bass line to this track. Mamadou Ba is on bass on this one. But sometimes it feels like solving this climate problem is beyond us, that it is too late, that we’re doomed. “We’ve gone too far,” Betina Hershey sings at one point here, a line that certainly rings true. But the spirit of this song is that it is in our ability to fix things. I sincerely hope these guys are right. Climate Change should be the one issue that unites us, since it obviously affects everyone. There is an excellent instrumental section in the middle of the track, and that guitar work is particularly good. There is also a spoken word section, a rap, in the second half. R.I.A. Salaam delivers that spoken word part, and Aditya Phatak plays tabla. That’s followed by “Open A Door,” a kind of pretty song with a bossa nova vibe, a song that encourages us to move forward, to follow our dreams, to follow our muse, to recognize and create opportunities for ourselves. For life is short. This track features some excellent work on guitar, and a strong vocal performance.

“I Broke The Egg” is a fun, lively number, and is another of the tracks to feature David Pleasant. I love how delighted Betina is when she delivers the line “So good for me” early in the song, and the way she sings “I’m letting loose and letting go” lets you know she means it. This track includes some really nice work on fiddle and banjo. The band is having such a good time with this track, and there is something loose about it that is delightful. Part of it is the percussion, and part of it is the give and take in the vocal work, the playful responses. Jennifer Vincent plays double bass on this one, and Kenny Kosek is again on fiddle. That’s followed by “Leavin’.” I like the way this song plays with the words “be leaving” and “believe” at the beginning. This is a slower number, a song for all of us who at times have to be apart from those we love. It’s never easy, is it? In this song, it is because the road is calling, bands needing to spend a certain amount of time on the road of course. And the rest of us understand that wanderlust. “I’m returning/When dreams stop burning/Inside my mind/And I’m ready to unwind/The road keeps calling/I keep falling/For the dream ahead.” Art Hirahara delivers some really nice work on organ. This one builds in power as it progresses, and has a big finish.

“What’s Meant To Last Will Last” has a delicious old-time feel, and I especially love that banjo. Check out the song’s first lines: “Don’t you wanna throw it all away/Don’t you need to clear the system/Don’t you wanna throw away the past/What’s meant to last will last.” Oh yes! And is that some tap dancing we’re hearing? It sure is, and there is a tap dancing solo toward the end that of course reminds me of Columbia’s turn during “The Time Warp.” That’s Michela Marino Lerman. And there is some wonderful backing vocal work too. Angela Workman provides backing vocals. Russell Hall is on electric bass. This song is a total delight, one of my personal favorites on this album. That’s followed by “Run.” There are a lot of serious problems that this country needs to face. Two of them are misogyny and gun violence, and this song addresses both. It features some beautiful vocal work. At one point, Betina sings, “People are good/We’re all the same/People are beautiful/No matter who they blame.” I wish I agreed with those lines. I used to, but beginning in 2016, people have taught me otherwise. Now, sadly, I believe there are a lot of people that are just rotten. “But this world of darkness seems/To bring me only hate.” That song, in turn, is followed by a song that encourages us to make changes, and reminds us that we do have the power to effect change, renewing that sense of optimism in us. This song, “Spread Your Wings,” also contains some really nice percussion. David Pleasant is featured on this one, and Hilliard Greene plays double bass.

On “Give It To Me Real,” the band gets more soulful. “I can take it/What’s on your mind/I won’t break.” This one is delivered as a duet by Betina Hershey and Miles Griffith. Russell Hall is on bass, and Ahmad T. Johnson plays drums on this track. The album concludes with two renditions of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” the only song on the disc not written or co-written by Betina Hershey. This is a traditional number. The first version begins with the lyrics delivered a cappella, and then kicks in to feature a strong groove, one to dance to. “Ain’t gonna let no hatred turn me around.” There is a spoken word section in the middle. That’s R.I.A. Salaam again delivering the rap. Mamadou Ba is on electric bass. Then the second version begins with percussion, and feels like a celebration, inviting us to sing along, to dance along. It feels like we should be all together, adding our voices, somewhere outside, where a bonfire burns nearby, or, better yet, on a march down the streets. “Ain’t gonna let injustice turn me ‘round.”

CD Track List

1. Lift You Up
2. Let’s Grow Our Roots Deep And True
3. Stop This Climate Change
4. Open A Door
5. I Broke The Egg
6. Leavin’
7. What’s Meant To Last Will Last
8. Run
9. Spread Your Wings And Fly
10. Give It To Me Real
11. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round
12. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round - Gullah Geechee

Lift You Up is scheduled to be released on July 14, 2023.

Mary Strand: “Golden Girl” (2023) CD Review

Mary Strand started as a lawyer who wanted to be a writer, became a fiction writer who then apparently wanted to become a rock star, and now is on her way to becoming that too. Golden Girl is her debut album, yet feels like the work of an experienced rocker. It contains all original material, written or co-written by Mary Strand. She provides the lead vocals and plays electric guitar on these tracks. Joining her are Ryan Smith on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, ukulele, mandolin, piano, keyboard, percussion, and backing vocals; Mark Wade on bass, gong, electric guitar, and backing vocals; and Jack Strand on drums.

The album opens with “Alexa Please,” which has a solid rock beat. Check out these lines, which open the song: “A minor judgment lapse/Won’t make the world collapse/But a degree in psychology/Is not the same as an apology.” Those are some fairly wonderful lyrics, right? Not bad for the first lines of a debut release. Clearly Mary Strand can do whatever she sets her mind to (which, honestly, is a bit irritating to those of us who are still trying to get our first novel published). The chorus is then addressed to Alexa (that creepy device that responds to vocal commands and is always listening): “Alexa, please add ‘boyfriend’ to my shopping list/I don’t remember when I got my last decent kiss/Make sure he’s honest, cute, and smart/And if he’s sweet, he’ll win my heart.” So obviously there is a good deal of humor to this song. That’s followed by “Different Kind Of World,” which also features a solid rock beat. In this song, she looks at another relationship that isn’t exactly what she wanted. But could it be? “We can’t do this, but why not?/It’s not as if we ever forgot/In a different kind of world.” These songs take me back to my twenties. “Golden Girl,” the album’s title track, is a song about a woman who glows and seems like the woman of a man’s dreams. Here Mary Strand addresses that man, telling him “Long legs, tight jeans, shadows in her eyes/Take a closer look: it’s all a disguise/Golden Girl.”

“I Don’t Want To Be Your Yesterday” was co-written by Sarah Morris, who joins Mary Strand on vocals (Sarah Morris recently released her fifth full-length album, Here’s To You, in which she again proved herself an excellent songwriter). This one has a softer approach, and features some beautiful vocal work. “I used to have this light inside, this fire, this spark/You had it too/Wherever it ran off to, I guess it doesn’t matter.” Those lines are so wonderfully sad, but while this song looks backward, it also states strongly about the present, “I’m not that woman anymore; I’m a bit older than before/Now I bring all my love with the truth.” And so there is a positive sense to it. This is a great song. That’s followed by “Kiss Me At Midnight,” which is also more gentle than the album’s first few tracks. It’s a love song, with something of a dreamlike quality, which works well with the time the song takes place. “Your moves are seductive, but somehow sweet/The magic keeps spinning on endless repeat/Kiss me at midnight and all night long/But will you disappear before the break of dawn?”

Mary Strand then gets back into rock territory with “The Me I Need To Be.” This one also deals with a relationship, but also with the self, as she sings in the chorus: “The me I need to be/Is buried so deep inside/If I set myself free/At least know that I tried.” These lines also stand out for me: “I don’t cry too many tears/But these have been hard years/I have so much to say and do/And it needs to start with you.” This track also features some good work on electric guitar. Then “Quarter To 10” is a sort of love song with a good rock energy. It’s about a relationship that has its fits and starts, as time passes. “We both walked away, but it’s sort of a blur/The years did their thing, and you lost who you were/Where did you go?” It is a song of what could have been. And could it be now?

“Acabé” is sung in Spanish. Check out these lines: “No creía que pudieras encorvarte tan bajo/Tan bajo, tan bajo/Sin comer tierra.” Pretty harsh, I love it!  There is a bit of punk energy to this song at times, which I appreciate. That’s followed by “Stay For Breakfast,” which also looks at a relationship, an attempt to see if they can make it work, the chorus being: “Stay for breakfast just this one time/Don’t tell me we’re an uphill climb/Stay for breakfast, it’s just one night/Let’s see if we can get this right.” There is a rather sweet aspect to her vocal delivery on this song. This track also features some nice work on keys, including that interesting ending. The album then concludes with “Act As If,” a song that has something of a 1960s pop vibe, even including hand claps. “Act as if you don’t want to be set free/Tell me that it’s not just one more line/Hold me like you’ll never, ever leave me/Act as if you’re mine.”

CD Track List

1. Alexa Please
2. Different Kind Of World
3. Golden Girl
4. I Don’t Want To Be Your Yesterday
5. Kiss Me At Midnight
6. The Me I Need To Be
7. Quarter To 10
8. Acabé
9. Stay For Breakfast
10. Act As If

Golden Girl was released on June 23, 2023.