One listen is all it takes

BRIGHT MORNING STARS
The Wailin' Jennys
True North Records
9-out-of-10

If you were going to pick a near perfect blending of female voices you would not go far wrong in selecting the Wailin' Jennys.

The trio of Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse come together in some of the sweetest harmonies you'll find on a disk.

Of course the Wailin' Jennys are veterans of the recording studio with a lengthy catalogue of material such as 2006's Firecracker, 40 Days from 2004, and a debut EP dating back to 2002.

So it comes as no surprise Bright Morning Stars is a roots classic in the making.

The latest Wailin' Jennys' disk has already garnered its share of acclaim including being named the Best Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Give Bright Morning Stars one listen and you pretty quickly understand why the disk was given the WCMA nod.

There are 13-songs here, and every one of them is carried off perfectly as the three voices come together for tight harmonies, then seamlessly move to allow a singular voice take centre stage.

There are of course personal favourites here, in particular Storm Comin' a song with a southern gospel heartbeat, but honestly every song here has merits which make it worth of mention.

Bright Morning Stars is simply an outstanding effort from a female trio at their top of their game. A disk which can only be highly recommended as a must have in any collection of great roots music.

Check it out at www.thewailinjennys.com

- CALVIN DANIELS

RECLAIM YOUR LAND
Hip Shakin' Mama & the Leg Men
Indie
7.5-out-of-10

The Hip Shakin' Mama is none other than Manitoba's own Shelley Lynne Hardinge, a blues singing gal with a definite attitude.

As you might assume from the name, this lady plays blues with a beat. They are the kind of infectious blues that gets the toes tapping.

With Shelley Lynne the music might also make you blush.

The music is naughty, veiled in innuendo and double entendres, there is a raw-edged raunchiness to these blues.

No, it is not vulgar. It is not profane. But it is designed to conjure certain images of an adult nature. In that respect it's fun blues.

The disk includes songs such as Rooster Stew, My Claws, Show Me No Mercy and Funkalicious Sugar Blue.

A night with this lady on stage is one I doubt you would ever forge.

One quote about the lady from Sugar Blue states, "Shelley-Lynne is Naughty and Delicious."

And I love the comment on her website which states, "her fans call her just the right amount of too much."

On the same website Shelley Lynne herself is quoted as saying "when I'm good, I'm bad, and when I'm bad I'm at my best."

There is of course a lot of cheeky humour here too, adding to the fun of the 11-song album.

If you like a gal with lots of good bad going on, you really need to check out www.hipshakinmusic.com

- CALVIN DANIELS



Past reviews are archived online at http://calmardan.blogspot.com/