Laura Stevenson – Wheel (Don Giovanni Records)
Laura Stevenson latest album Wheel is amazing, good songwriting, good vocals and great musicianship makes it a winner. The opening track is Renee is a solid indie rock/alt country/70s rock tune that starts off with Laura and acoustic guitar and leads into the rest of the band. It shows off she can write a tune that delivers with solid songwriting, such passion and energy. Triangle is a straight up indie rock tune that is catchy energetic well written and has good use of backing vocals. Runner is a catchy tune that has good use of instruments including the keyboard. It’s also a song that I reckon radio could pick up and play. Every Tense has good use of strings and her vocals are on fire and is the songwriting and musicianship. It’s one of more slower songs on the album which lets the songwriting and vocals shine. Bells And Whistles is more a cruzy laid-back tune that has a real country edge to the tune. Sink, Swim is like Runner, another catchy tune that has good vocals, melodies and musicianship. The Hole is another little ditty, good use of the acoustic guitar, solid vocals, good lyrics. It’s a good song that has a real country feel to it. Eleonora is a good indie rock/alt country tune that has good melodies, musicianship, vocals and lyrics. The Move is just Laura and acoustic guitar and it shines, lets Laura voice really shine, good lyrics and her songwriting is excellent. Journey To The Center of The Earth is song that has good use of the use of lap steel, vocals are good as is the lyrics. Telluride has good use of the accordion, good well written song, solid melodies, vocals and lyrics. Musicianship is first rate. L’Dopa is the big anthem on the CD, it goes for over six minutes, well written performed and shows off the songwriting and vocals. The Wheel finishes off the album well with a well written and sung tune that has good use of the French Horn. This is a first class album by Laura Stevenson, solid songwriting, great musicianship, solid vocals and good production makes this album a winner. I hope one day she tours Australia.
