Danni Leigh – Divide And Conquer
Danni Leigh is frequently described as a distaff Dwight Yoakam, and there’s plenty about Divide And Conquer (her minor-label debut following an unhappy two-album stint in the majors) to bolster that comparison. There’s the cover picture of Leigh lookin’ sharp in a cowboy hat; Yoakam collaborator Pete Anderson’s presence as producer/guitarist; and the honky-tonk heartbreak tones of the opening song, “He Used To Say That To Me”.
Keep listening, though, and that comparison starts to seem way too limited. The smooth tropicalia of “My Last Chance Is Gone” practically screams BLENDER DRINKS, and might remind you of Chris Isaak’s tiki-torch pop. Other songs bring Shelby Lynne to mind, mostly because Leigh’s smoldering voice implies a touch of danger — plus it can manage darn near any style, from folksy to rocking. Divide And Conquer ranges far and wide, and is better for its travels.
The always-reliable Jim Lauderdale contributes three songs, and Leigh also hits up a couple of other writers from the should-be-covered-lots-more-than-they-are file. Malcolm Holcombe’s “A Far Cry From Here” (rescued from his overlooked 1999 album A Hundred Lies) works just as well when heard in Leigh’s smooth voice as in Holcombe’s craggy yowl. And Phil Lee’s “Somebody Oughta Do Something” is a knockout, with Leigh channeling the ne’er-do-well charm of the original while managing a nifty gender switch. You’d never know this one wasn’t written specifically for her.