On one of my personal favourites on the disc, "Jesus and Mohammad" Candye's accompaniment is limited to the playing of Bob Brozman's Steel guitars. But her voice is so textured with gospel feel you don't once notice the lack of other instruments. In fact, the simplicity of just her voice and its interplay with Bob Brozman's guitars are what make the song so effective.
Of course she's still the fun loving Candye Kane that's she's been in the past as she shows on songs such "My Country Man", "Fine Brown Frame", and the tongue in cheek "I'm My Own Worst Enemy". On the latter she lists all of the attributes that end up causing her to stumble and tells all those who might be out get her that they have nothing to worry about, she's the Queen of self-sabotage and knows how to hurt herself far better than any of them could ever figure out.
People tend to get distracted by hints and rumours that surround Candye's past and forget about her music on occasion. The title of the disc Guitar'd And Feathered makes reference to her past while stressing what's really important in her life right now; her music. Candye Kane is a singer of power and potency it's true, but now she's discovering how to use her voice for subtle effect.
She's going beyond being just another singer in pursuit of the brass ring, if she even ever aspired to that. Instead, her focus has been turned squarely on to finding out just what that great voice is capable of. She has always had one of the most powerful voices on the market, but now on her latest release from Ruf Records, Guitar'd And Feathered, she shows an ability to refine it so that the power is now coloured with a rainbow of feeling.
Candye Kane is well on her way to becoming one of the great female vocalists of our generation. She's not just a singer like so many others out there, and that deserves to be recognised. Buy her record and learn just how great a treasure she is.
Article comments
1 - chuck
I recently saw Candye Kane and her band LIVE in Dallas, and became an even bigger fan. I've enjoyed her records, but her real strength is in her stage presence. She really connects with the audience, at least she did here in Big D. Her attraction to the blues is not simply one of it being a way to make a buck, but seems much more grounded in the real tough world that she grew up in, and that the blues in that environment are more easily embraced, than outrun.