I have say that pure country music really isn’t my thing – Americana, old-timey, even bluegrass I can get along with but … I guess the thing about Nicki Bluhm is that there is nothing pure about her music and it draws influences from wherever it will. At first hearing it’s country, but it isn’t.
The opening track, ‘Only Always’ has all the ingredients as does ‘Waiting On Love’. They’re both love songs of the unrequited variety decorated with electric guitar and underpinned by solid bass and drums, nothing earth-shattering about the lyrics: both radio-friendly cuts. With ‘Heartache’ things begin to evolve. There are a couple of clever lines and then The Gramblers hit us with possibly the best track on the record, ‘Queen Of The Rodeo’. It’s also very country with some real earworm lines.
‘Mr. Saturday Night’ has a blues vibe and it tells a good story as it chugs along. ‘Loved Your Loved Ones’ has something of a supercharged CSN feel although the harmonies don’t soar to the same heights and by now I’ve had enough of analysing as ‘Heart Gets Tough’ rocks and ‘Simpler Times’ hits the country trail again. You can’t pigeon-hole Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers but the funny thing is that I like them best when they play country music.
Dai Jeffries
Artists’ website: http://www.nickibluhm.com/
‘Waiting On Love’ – official video:
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