Sometimes records are blessed with a destiny. They capture a
perfect sound to enthral a listener fortunate enough to tap into its
wavelength. The fabric, dressing and substance of Laura Benitez’s third album
hauls it into this category before unravelling as a timeless treat to fans who
love a classic country sound laced with more than a hearty dose of fiery Latino
sauce. WITH ALL ITS THORNS has put down a marker for an early instrumental
delight of the year with lashings of luscious pedal steel sparring with border-inspired
accordion, piercing your ear amongst a host of memorable tunes. Easy listening, maybe; absolutely adorable listening, certainly.
Adding the word heartache to your band name is well on the
path to adhering yourself with country tradition and as you submerge deeper
into the album, the nod towards the Californian version becomes more apparent. Laura
herself is steeped in the West Coast music scene and made the journey north
from Los Angeles to her now base in the Bay Area. Distancing herself further
away from her homeland’s southern border has done nothing to dilute the
Hispanic influence and in addition to the frequent accordion, she drops into
bi-lingual mode for the mid album number ‘Almost
the Right One/Casi Mi Cielo’. If you so desire to be swept from a dusty
saloon to a dusty cantina, your wish has been granted. While on the topic of
vocals, Laura finds a higher plateau right from the off and puts on a
scintillating performance as if judgment day is fast approaching.
Any judgement on this album will be best placed to consider
the exceptional opening and closing tracks. Repeatedly, the critical importance
of a stunning opener has been preached and Laura firmly delivers here with the
rapturously received ‘Something Better
Than a Broken Heart’. Another essential trait of an outstanding release is
to find the optimum length and leave the listener departing on a high. ‘Nora Went Down the Mountain’ is Laura’s
delightful parting shot, and a prime piece of wanderlust storytelling, fully
in the mode of the country-folk genre.
Amidst all the obvious country leanings, the murder revenge
ballad ‘In Red’ does wander very
freely into folk music territory and perfectly captures Laura’s lyrical prowess
to take a true story before weaving in some fantasy, hopefully! Storytelling
does feature prominently in ‘Ghost Ship’,
which is an account of a fire that happened recently in Oakland and had a
considerable impact on that community’s arts scene. At this point, and in
tracks like ‘Secrets’ and ‘Why Does it Matter’, the sound does
climb down a little from the ravenous up tempo driving country floor fillers
than herald the early stages of the record.
‘Easier Things to Do’
and ‘Our Remember Whens’ are the
tracks responsible for maintaining the magnificent momentum of the opening. At
this stage, you know you are in the presence of a fine bunch of players, with a
plethora of sumptuous steel, accordion and guitar solos punctuating the
valuable vocals. Heartache may well be their collective name and they certainly
have the effect of spilling it out in their sound, alongside bouts of alternative
feel good buoyancy.
There are elements of the record with a distinctive familiar
feel and ‘The Fool I Am Right Now’
falls into that category. No doubt, Laura has immersed herself into country
history to develop this sound, so any apparent likeness is liable to be
inherent. ‘Whiskey Makes You Love Me’
completes the eleven-track offering and what other subject content and
connotation would you expect?
WITH ALL ITS THORNS by Laura Benitez and the Heartache ultimately wins by putting a smile on the face of the listener. While the destiny is unknown, hanging onto the coat tails of its glorious journey is the place to be in the first month of the New Year. Simply an unrivalled piece of Hispanic drenched classic country.
