When Novocastrian Catherine Britt took her musical coal to Nashville she stoked the star machinery without igniting the chart boilers
When Novocastrian Catherine Britt took her musical coal to Nashville she stoked the star machinery without igniting the chart boilers. The singer was signed because of her pure country voice and the writing on her indie debut album, which was produced by Bill Chambers. Although Chambers co-produced her first Nashville disc, neither he or hit maker Keith Stegall could coat it with suffice chart candy to crack narrow radio playlists.
Ditto studio star-maker Brett Beavers who produced her second Nashville disc. Britt made the Top 40 with catchy singles but was never superficially ‘pretty’ enough for radio with female quota filled by Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler. Ironically, Pickler hit big with a Britt original (from one of two discs rejected in the US but released here.)
Britt however, like many peers, harvested hay from her hell by writing Call You Back Town for her self-titled resurrection album, with Chambers back at the helm with son-in-law Shane Nicholson. This strident social comment tune on Nashville may not be the most radio-accessible song, but it’s sure as hell the most memorable. Let’s not forget haunting Harris homage Sweet Emmylou – a tune penned many moons ago by Britt and prolific peer Rory Lee Feek. Feek – of Joey & Rory – also recorded the Emmylou Harris tribute and Britt thought it was so nice she cut it twice, first time as a hidden track.
That’s just two of 14 Britt originals on an album cut at Sing Sing in Richmond with similar studio pickers to Britt’s mentor Kasey Chambers. What about the rest? Well, Britt fueled an eclectic disc from passionate and riveting entrée I Want You Back to pathos-primed finale Lonely and Where Do You Go? Britt also plays a woman scorned on Down and Anywhere You Are – two of three tunes penned with fellow Nashville label refugee Ashley Monroe.
But there’s a distinct mood swing on positive love songs – the hook heavy Can’t Change A Thing and More Than You Are with Melanie Horsnell as co-writer. Britt employs salient sequencing. The dominatrix diva in rocking Under My Thumb that segues into Call You Back Town becomes a sweet believer in biblical ballads Holy River and Sleepy Town. Then it’s regret stained Since You Slipped Away written with expatriate Aussie guitarist-singer Jedd Hughes and the pained paean of Saved Me.
This is a concept album of sorts and welcome return for Australia’s most under-rated femme fatale. And hey, the band’s pretty good too. Bill Chambers’ dobro and mandolin on Sleepy Town and Holy River, Nicholson’s banjo and fiddler Mick Albeck enrich her fourth album’s country roots.
