Count Jessi Alexander's unapologetically pretty, country-tilting debut among the growing crop of discs able to deliver those disenfranchised with modern music from their funk. She's not exactly a throwback -- lyrics rendered in a decidedly 21st century voice, especially those on "This World Is Crazy," which tips a sad hat toward tumultuous times, and "Unfulfilled," a clever ode to quiet desperation as experienced by the modern woman, lend her a vitality that stamps itself nearer the front of the mind than the back -- but this is music not self-conscious about celebrating its roots. Karla Bonoff seeps through the title track, and flashes of Linda Ronstadt work their way into the more swollen-hearted songs, like "Make Me Stay or Make Me Go." (All tracks were written or co-written by Alexander.) Roughed up by the more playful numbers, the creamy quality in her voice takes on a California sunniness that would sit well alongside early-era Jackson Browne, but it's her Tennessee heritage that hums to the surface most frequently. The clear-eyed confessions and gorgeously gauged jolts of rock and soul aside, in lighter moments Honeysuckle Sweet can call to mind a kooky but likable crosshatching of J.J. Cale and Patsy Cline.
Jessi Alexander
Honeysuckle Sweet
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AllMusic Review by Tammy La Gorce
Track Listing
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 |
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4:38 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | 3:13 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
3 | 4:13 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
4 |
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3:08 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 |
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5:06 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
6 |
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4:12 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 | 4:01 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
8 |
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3:58 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | 4:26 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
10 | 3:51 | SpotifyAmazon | ||||
11 | 4:23 | SpotifyAmazon |