Category:
Roots

Try if you like:
Son Volt, Gram Parsons, Jim Lauderdale, Lucinda Williams

Must be in a country mood today. It doesn't happen very often but when I am in the mood I don't look for mainstream stuff. Instead I reach for some of those artists that don't get much exposure. One of those artists happen to be the charming Kelly Willis. 

Kelly is one of those artists who don't just pump out an album every two years. No, she takes some time to make sure things are perfect and that she has enough decent material to keep fans happy. It's great to see because a fan has some time to get excited about new songs. Translated From Love is the first album in five years, except for a Christmas album last year. It opens up with a great upbeat track called "Nobody Wants To Go To The Moon Anymore", nice and upbeat. She slows down slightly for the second track, "Sweet Little One" but not quite ballad speed. Then she even switches gears once more with "Don't Know Why" with a little bit of a shuffle feel to it. The best part of this song is the change up moving into the chorus, seamless. Then she goes back to rocking out with "Teddy Boys". The first time I heard "Losing You" the expert production (Chuck Prophet) and instrumentation was what made me take note. Most likely my favorite track on Translated From Love. The slight swing feel on "Too Much To Lose" changes it up again for the album, making this one of the most diverse country albums to come out this year. Or I might declare "The More That I'm Around You" to be my favorite. If not, it's definitely a great roadtrip song. 

Really, one can't help but wonder why Kelly Willis isn't a lot more popular. Her songs are all cleverly crafted and her voice is amazingly charismatic. Even if you aren't a country fan but enjoy good female singer/songwriters check out Translated From Love.