High Notes, Vol. 6

Maria McKee
Late December

Never one to shy away from something bold, fresh and new, songwriter Maria McKee emerges again with the superb Late December, her sixth album as a solo artist. Where previous works have been dipped in country, bluesy rock and acoustic faire, Late December finds McKee in the mood to snap fingers, sway to the beat and rock and roll.

Womenfolk’s chosen standout is the infectious ‘No Other Way To Love You,’ a tune which if it doesn’t hook you on first listen, especially when McKee sings, “To live with you is all or nothing, baby / I may be risking my life again / But there’s no other way to love you, baby.”, then you’re just not really listening.

McKee’s amazing vocals are her trademark and can easily induce goosebumps. That voice, paired with this batch of songs, makes Late December quite possibly McKee’s best album yet.

Maria McKee - No Other Way To Love You From the album Late December

Amy LaVere
Anchors & Anvils

On her beautiful second album, Anchors & Anvils, singer-songwriter Amy LaVere is sure to receive further notice as a talent to watch. Mixing a love for country and rock styles with a talent for writing unique songs (plus, she can play a mean upright bass), LaVere teamed up with celebrated musician/producer Jim Dickinson and has crafted an envious batch of tunes.

The album opens with ‘Killing Him,’ a song one critic has described as a “…sinister ode to homicidal passion that smolders like Norah Jones with a razor in her boot.”

While decidedly a country tune, there’s no twang in LaVere’s pleasant, honey-lined voice and the music rolls and whirls with a fine mixture of violin, drums and groovy basslines.

Amy LaVere - Killing Him From the album Anchors & Anvils

Ebba Forsberg
Ebba Forsberg

One of my true favorites and previously mentioned on Womenfolk is the lovely music of Sweden’s Ebba Forsberg. Her self-titled third album, released late last year, is a collection of self-penned songs that perfectly detail the joys and pains of loving someone.

The tones of these songs can carry an underlying darkness; they’re moody and thick and if one listens carefully, can catch the stinging stubtleties in Forsberg’s words. Her strengths as a songwriter lie in her soft, but impacting deliveries.

Listen to Forsberg’s ‘Kiss Of Life’ for a prime example of how affecting a song can be. Entrancing hardly seems to describe her enough.

Ebba Forsberg - Kiss Of Life From the album Ebba Forsberg

Kristin Hersh
Learn To Sing Like A Star

On her first album since 2003’s The Grotto (50 Foot Wave aside), Kristin Hersh returns with what is perhaps her most accessible solo album yet. Her voice is one of the most distinguishable in the business and her unique songwriting is as sharp and engaging as ever.

One notable standout, ‘The Thin Man,’ finds Hersh using a steady tempo of guitar and cello and the low thumping of drums as an intriguing backdrop to Hersh’s incredible lyrics. The song itself is unlike anything else.

Kristin Hersh - The Thin Man From the album Learn To Sing Like A Star