Americana Music Reviews

 

Chelle Rose
Nana Hally River
Bloodred - JMP1028

by Al Kunz

Chelle Rose's Nana Hally River is a rarity. It grabbed my attention immediately and continues holding me over repeated listens. Pulling me in that quickly usually means something "really rocks," and some of the songs do. But in this case that wasn't what got me. It was Rose's voice. It doesn't have the whispery little girl quality like Marilyn Monroe singing her happy birthday to JFK. Instead it's a voice with heft, yet still feminine. Not like a classically trained opera singer. More the voice of someone who refuses to be ignored. Someone with a message she needs to tell. A voice that says, "what I have to tell you is important to me and you WILL listen." So I listened. I even took notes.

I'm not the only one who's listening. Rose has caught the attention of other critics, some describing her as the next Patsy Cline or Emmylou Harris. She's done this by applying legendary New York Times sportswriter Red Smith's advice to writing songs.

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.

And, boy, did the blood pour from that figurative vein. In these fourteen songs Rose sings about people she's known, especially those who have most impacted her life, starting with her long-absent biological father in "Daddy I'm Still Here." This is one of the most touching songs on the disc. You'll hear the adult who is resigned to the way things are and knows it will probably never change. But deep down little Chelle hopes for more and still hurts.

They've always told me you're the evil kind
But I'm your flesh and blood what's wrong with your mind
That you could turn from the love of a child all these years
But if you change your mind I'd like to make it clear
Daddy I'm still here

On hand to help staunch the bleeding was David Hardman who co-produced with Rose. If we can judge what to expect from a disc by the musicians who agree to play, then the participation of drummer Rick Schell is a good sign. A member of Pinmonkey, Schell is a longtime favorite of the left-of-center East Nashville music community having toured and recorded with a long list of the elite songwriters and musicians like Duane Jarvis, Lonesome Bob, and Steve Earle. Other musicians include J.D. Wilkes (blues harp), Glen Kuykendall (dobro), Amy Ryce (fiddle), and Mike Daly (slide and pedal steel guitars).

I almost ran out of fingers counting the number of songs about broken relationships. The final count is seven and each situation is different. Most importantly they avoid getting mired in the sickly-sweet quagmire of the typical country love ballad. "Little Reasons Why" enters Mary Chapin Carpenter territory and absolutely rocks. The woman in this tune is fed-up and taking control without second thoughts or regrets. In fact, she seems downright happy about the situation.

I won't cry
When you decide to come by
To tell me you don't want me
And all of your little reasons why

And I won't be alone
When you decide to come back home
You'll be tellin' me you're willin' to try
But this time I'll have my own little reasons why

When her man of thirty years leaves after they've raised four boys, the woman in "Her Whole Life" is also ready to take control of her life. "She don't pray for him to telephone / she don't want him to come back home / she's just askin' for a little strength / to make it on her own." Not everyone is as ready for the relationship to end, as in "Little Reasons Why," or as adaptable as in "Her Whole Life." For some, bad love is better than no love. The subject in "God Help the Man" is better off with her man gone, but she doesn't recognize this. Instead she worries about finding love again. She worries even more about the man.

I been sittin' out back in the porch swing
It's where I go to think and where I go to sing
Think about what used to be
Sing a song about an old memory
My mama tries to tell me
There'll be a better man down the road
But I'm afraid the love that we let die
Is the only love I'll ever know

His mind is troubled
His temper's ragin' like a storm at sea
God help the man
Send down an angel
Won't you send down a friend
Someone to walk him through the darkest part
Heal his mind, mend his heart
'Cause I've done everything that I can

Rose doesn't just explore the feelings of the one left behind. In "Rainin' on My Heart" both sides get equal time when Brian Waldschlager joins Rose for a duet about a coupling on its final legs. And in "Good Bye" we discover that the one leaving suffers too.

Headed down this ol' highway
Wonderin' if I'm goin' the right way
Leavin' all I know behind me now
Includin' broken hearts and wedding vows

You never thought I'd follow through
With what I told you I would do
But I was dyin' inside
Just had to get away and find some peace of mind

But maybe all relationships aren't doomed. The title track sings about the courtship of Rose's grandparents, Irven Lee and Hattie Carolyn Sloan Easton, years ago in rural North Carolina. Rose dedicated the disc to the subject of "Family" (husband "John Thomas" and son "John Mitchell"), another relationship still going strong.

We're all just out here
Passin' through
It can be such a lonely place
If you got no one to talk to

But I got you
And you got me, baby
And we got this little man
And that makes us a family

"Mystery Road" is the perfect song to complete this disc. The lyrics "don't give up on your dreams" are the philosophy that led to Rose recording Nana Hally River. Having looked thus far at where she's come from, now it's time to look to the future. ("Do you ever stop to wonder / where you'll go from here / do you ever stop to think / if the road ahead is clear?")

I'd love to say "I've seen the future of country music and its name is Chelle Rose." I'm sure Jon Landau would approve. But it isn't fair to call someone the next Patsy Cline based on her debut release. Not fair to the record buyer. Not fair to the artist. Many a promising debut is followed by a slip in quality (although often accompanied by an increase in popularity, go figure). While it may be premature to make sweeping pronouncements about Rose's future there are three things that are certain. First, Nana Hally River is an auspicious debut and well worth your attention. Second, based on additional songs Rose performed on a recent radio show, you can be assured that the songwriting well hasn't run dry. And last, I hope five years from now I'm kicking myself for not having said, "I've seen the future . . . "

*The weather is perfect for a trip down the Nana Hally River. To reserve a spot on the boat visit www.chellerose.com


Contact Al Kunz at kunz-at-rockzilla.net

 
Read Rockzilla's Guestbook
Sign Rockzilla's Guestbook