Stompin' Ground

Album Review

Stompin' Ground, Michelle Malone's first solo album for longtime friend/associate Amy Ray's Daemon imprint, continues her trend of tough rockers mixed with melodic but no less aggressive ballads. She gets Dylan-ish on "2 Horns and 2 Wings," a burner heavily influenced by Bob's "Maggie's Farm," right down to her ragged harmonica. Although most of the songs involve matters of the heart, Malone leans left with some political jabs on the surging "Flagpole," one of her most explosive tracks and a highlight of this disc. Her vocals shift from raspy to silky throughout, especially on the mid-tempo strum of "Cypress Inn." There are also hints of Sheryl Crow and Lucinda Williams in the effortless way she constructs songs. But Malone is far more bluesy, especially on the acoustic stomp of "Preacher's Daughter," a tune that shares a similar approach to the Stones' "Prodigal Son." Malone unleashes some swamp rock on "Samsonite," the opening "Lafayette," and the closing "True" that features greasy slide guitar from Jonny D. reminiscent of David Lindley's work with Jackson Browne. The slightly experimental funk with distorted vocals of "Snack n Shack," a minute-and-a-half mid-album detour named after the Atlanta studio where the album was recorded, sets the listener up for "Cry Me a River" (a Malone original, not the well-worn standard), the disc's most commercial stab at country-rock. Here Ray's mandolin and Sheila Doyle's fiddle add twang, taking Malone to Jayhawks territory. Call this the singer/songwriter's Harvest or Beggars Banquet then, since it revels in rootsy strumming and harder-edged, bluesy rock. It's propelled by Malone's tough and tender style and a dozen great songs you'll want to hear again.