Kelley
Mickwee's You Used To Live Here - Sensational Solo Debut
Kelley
Mickwee's You Used To Live Here - Sensational Solo Debut
Kelley
Mickwee’s solo debut album You Used To
Live Here, may only have seven songs, but all of them are gems, as the
singer-songwriter-musician, who until now was better known as one of the
Americana trio The Trishas a Texas based all female band, leans to R&B and Soul
influenced tunes, while retaining an Americana feel on this album.
When late in 2013 The Trishas decided to take a break
from recording and performing without any end date in sight to reunite, Mickwee
confessed to panic setting in and, “I realized I was basically going to be out
of a job, so I needed to start getting self sufficient!” To say that she has
done a good job of proving that she can stand on her own would be a big
understatement, as You Used To Live Here
showcases her fabulous vocals, excellent phrasing, solid songwriting with the
ability to paint a lyrical videoscape against the canvas of some great melodies,
rhythms and beats and she surrounded herself with some good musicians.
The centerpiece of Kelley Mickwee’s new album
You Used To Live Here is the sixth of
seven tracks, the sultry “Hotel Jackson,” co-written with Jonny Burke.
The retro sounding song has lyrics that are steamy to say the least, as
the singer sets her sights on someone, “You
talk with lips, I wanna’ kiss / You think it’s okay I’m saying all this /You
look like something I wanna’ eat / You look like something that puts off some
heat / I’m gonna’ treat you like you never seen / Come by later, you’ll see what
I mean…” The song is introduced by Mickwee’s accoustic guitar that serves as
her main accompaniment, as this story of seduction unfolds.
Tim Regan who plays numerous instruments on this album
has his fingerprints all over the title song “You Used To Live Here,” as the
song opens with him playing the Wurlitzer, which sets the tone for a song
heavily influenced by R&B, juxtaposed to Americana lyrics, but leaving lots of
room to showcase Kelley Mickwee’s excellent vocals. This is truly one of those
songs where the instrumentals and vocals compliment each other well and are very
much in balance. Mickwee and her co-writer Jimmy Daddy Davis paint word pictures
of the surroundings, the creek, the singer sitting on the porch, a dog barking
and “our song” playing, weeds growing high, all symbols of a relationship
drifting apart or perhaps already over. One intepretation might be of a couple
where one person has emotionally moved on and the other person still has not let
go and severed the emotional ties.
Owen Temple joins Mickwee for a duet on the third song,
“Beautiful Accidents,” a tune that the Texas native co-wrote with Mickwee. It is
a song about young love, about an unexpected pregnancy, but about a couple who
stayed the course and remained together over the years. There is a beautiful
line in this song with a simple sentiment, as the singer looks back over the
years of the relationship and says to her husband, “When you said I do, I did
too.” Eric Lewis accompanies them on pedal steel and Tim Regan is on piano. We
should also mention throughout this album Kelley Mickwee plays acoustic guitar
and she also plays the mandolin.
Tim Regan who plays numerous instruments on this album
has his fingerprints all over the title song “You Used To Live Here,” as the
song opens with him playing the Wurlitzer, which sets the tone for a song
heavily influenced by R&B, juxtaposed to Americana lyrics, but leaving lots of
room to showcase Kelley Mickwee’s excellent vocals. This is truly one of those
songs where the instrumentals and vocals compliment each other well and are very
much in balance. Mickwee and her co-writer Jimmy Daddy Davis paint word pictures
of the neighborhood, the creek, the singer sitting on the porch, a dog barking
and “our song” playing, weeds growing high, all symbols of a relationship
drifting apart or perhaps already over. One intepretation might be of a couple
where one person has emotionally moved on and the other person still has not let
go and severed the emotional ties.
The album closes with Kelley Mickwee singing Eliza and
Nancy Gilkyson’s chronicle of the seedier side of the music business that can
trap some artists, where the needle acts as a chaser for the alcohol.
You can sample Kelley Mickwee’s
songs here, but make sure you stop by
her website to purchase
You Used To Live Here, so you can
play it for your friends when they are in the car with you or visiting you.
This review published August 21st, 2014 by Joe Montague is protected by copyright © and may not be reproduced in print or on the internet or through any other means without the written permission of Riveting Riffs Magazine, All Rights Reserved