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Cynthia Gayneau is something of a Renaissance woman wrapped in a paradox inside of a mystery. She is an NEA grant photographer, a Screen Actor's Guild and Equity card holder as both an actor and director, and the sister of Gordon Gano - - she changed her name back to its original spelling - - the lead singer of the Violent Femmes, with whom she has recorded. If that's not enough to qualify her for pretty-damned-impressive resume status, she also finds the time to write and record her own music which mixes traditional country with western swing, '50s rock 'n' roll, and just a touch of that south of the border spice. And she does it all from her Northwestern hometown of Seattle, Washington, which just may be the most intriguing variable in the whole equation. So, how does someone from an area best known for coffee shops, bike lanes, white guys with dreadlocks, and heroin overdoses manage to create music that would be right at home in any Texas courtyard cotillion? Apparently, by keeping a Lone Star-sized portion of the state reserved in her heart, which is more than evident on her latest release West of West Texas. In this age of voyeurism as art, Ms. Gayneau has achieved the relatively impossible by maintaining a privacy that I found both enviable and a pain in the ass. I was able to find very little information on her except to uncover that she'd led a rather nomadic existence. Obviously, at least a few of those ramblings took her through the South and the Great Republic of Texas and, as displayed on songs like the opening track of the disc, "How Those Boys Can Dance," she liked what she saw. It is, oddly enough, an upbeat swing number about how although Northern boys may know what wine goes with hot dogs, Cynthia's heart is a remora for them two-steppin' Southern boys. The next track, "West of West Texas," has a propulsive "Riders in the Sky" rhythm to it. It tells the story of a restless woman who falls for the charms of a mysterious stranger who is passing through and western bound - - metaphorically, at least, not the wisest move she could make. The music has an ominous undercurrent that leads the listener to believe that the couple's final destination probably won't be Disney Land. As he passed close to me "For the Moment" provides an interesting twist on the humorous song of convenient love. In this case, the woman is assuring the man that even though she's not sure who or what tomorrow may bring, at this precise instant she loves only him. I guess it could be looked at as some kind of feminist turnabout, but why ruin a good song with such perverse things? I don't know where I'm going A song that quickly grew on me was "Alamo Waltz." No, it's not a satirical piece; instead, it is a bittersweet paean to unrequited love that uses the beauty of San Antonio and the symbolism of its most famous landmark. The poetic imagery and Spanish-influenced guitar had me yearning not for lost love, but for the Riverwalk and a 32-ounce beer from Dick's. This is simply a great song that should be played every minute of everyday somewhere in San Antone and made requisite listening for all Texans. I remember the Alamo Cynthia Gayneau sings and plays in a simple, unadorned fashion, but her music has a depth and soulfulness that only evinces itself in the work of people who truly love what they do. If you're a fan of Hank Sr. or the recently rediscovered treasures on O, Brother, then Cynthia Gayneau's West of West Texas is the direction you need to be heading. Cynthia Gayneau's West of West Texas can be bought
by putting ink to paper and sending a note to her at Botte Music,
PO Box 31784, Seattle, WA., 98103. |
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