CD Review: Karling Abbeygate - Karling Abbeygate - Page 2

The CD is comprised of a set of "lost" country songs of the 50s and 60s with titles like "It Don't Take Much To Get Me By" and "Many Happy Hangovers To You," plus a handful of Abbeygate's originals. The latter prove her to be a skilful songwriter, with a sensibility informed by but not enslaved to the old-time country tropes she sings so naturally. "Beg Steal & Borrow" sounds like something Dolly Parton might have written, with Abbeygate exaggerating her redneck accent to humorous and touching effect, and John Pinnella contributing a brilliant Dobro solo.

"Home Home Home" is a sweet, disarming new song that echoes the Everly Brothers' "Let It Be Me." "Tonight Is Gonna Last" is probably the most original original here, with a catchy and sophisticated melody that would make any crusty old Nashville songwriter proud: "I don't care if in the morning you are gone/'Cause tonight is gonna last a whole life long." Finally, the dark ballad "Someone Else's Man" shows off both her songwriting versatility and her heartbreaking juxtaposition of girlish voice with adult themes.

And in fact it's that magical voice and delivery that sells Karling Abbeygate, through originals and obscure old nuggets alike. In spite of her sometimes exaggerated stylings, you believe every word out of her mouth. (Okay, call me a sucker.) And she and her band sound so old-fashioned they sound fresh.

Maybe the very existence of this CD indicates a revival of old-time Nashville sounds (though it was recorded in Los Angeles). More likely, it's just a happy happenstance. Happy, that is, for us who get to listen. The heck with bell bottoms, anyway.

Article Author: Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Blogcritics' Culture and Theater Editor. In addition to reviewing NYC theater, he writes a semi-regular round-up of independent music releases. By day he is a computer professional and a freelance writer and editor, and at night he's a …

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