One of the best sets I saw at this year’s AmericanaFest was the trio of Brennan Leigh, Kelly Willis, and Melissa Carper. As they told stories of their travels together in between the songs it was clear they were having as much fun off stage as on. That newfound, or perhaps refound, appreciation for touring that emerged post-pandemic became a guiding light for Carper’s latest album, Ramblin’ Soul.
The CD opens with the self-titled cut and when she belts out, “I love the feeling of the free way”, you realize she’s talking about both the emotional and geographical aspects of being free. Like many of the songs on the record it has an old-time, retro music vibe. Same thing with Zen Buddha, and how meditation can counteract falling too deeply in love. That style takes more of a jazz direction when you can practically see someone twirling around the ballroom on From What I Recall. Holding All the Cards features a Benny Goodman-era clarinet solo in a tune about poker hands as a metaphor for relationships.
The album really hits its stride when Carper starts channeling Wills and Benson in a western swing number, Texas, Texas, Texas, about heading back to her current home. Although it’s more honky-tonk bar than dance hall, Boxers On Backwards is the funnest song in the collection. When she notes that, “I’m stone cold sober and I dance like an ogre”, there’s no doubt that “I ain’t getting lucky tonight” is the outcome. It’s about as relatable as country music gets. The record turns soulful on the Odetta-penned Hit or Miss, as well as the Carper original Ain’t a Day Goes By.
For the first couple of songs on the record Carper practices a restrained lyrical delivery that matches the old-timey vibe so well. It was music of the people after all, not for virtuosos. But when she turns her vocal pipes loose on Ain’t a Day Goes By, it’s the aural equivalent of The Wizard of Oz when the movie goes from black-and-white to color. From that point forward the universe of Ramblin’ Soul just keeps expanding and if you weren’t a fan of Melissa Carper before this album, you will be by the end.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.