Rodney Crowell knows a thing or two about writing a good tune I’m sure you’d agree, ”the soul of a poet and the voice of an angel” is the phrase he used to describe Kimmie Rhodes and it’s a more than apt summary, Kimmie’s songs have been recorded by names you can throw in without need of formalities, Willie, Waylon, Emmylou, the prolific Texan has also published a book and written three musicals over the period of her career which kicked off back in ’81 with Kimmie Rhodes and the Jackalope Brothers recorded in Willie’s studio.
Her home town of Austin will be cleaning up and calming down this week from the the madness of SxSW and it’s this week that’s being chosen as the release date for Kimmie’s fifteenth solo album “Dreams of Flying”, the album features ten Rhodes originals, nine from Kimmie and one from son Jeremie Rhodes who’s brother Gabriel takes production duties on the album in addition there’s a cover duet with fellow Texan Joe Ely on Donovan’s Catch The Wind, as you’d expect from an artiste of her calibre the team on the album are top drawer players and the record is beautifully put together.
Highlights for me, the opening and title track bittersweet Dreams of Flying, which sets the album’s tone perfectly Rhodes fragile vocal drawing the listener into the music, the aching sadness of track two Back Again is heart-breaking, wonderfully written, perfect-fit instrumentation and a pure yearning vocal, New Way Through is painfully soulful, delicate and tender – further proof if any is needed that Rhodes is a rare and graceful talent.
A regular visitor to these shores and Europe she’ll be touring next month beginning in Germany April 2nd and kicking of in the UK May 5th – more info on the UK dates on the Gigs page or for the full listing click here.
Kimmie Rhodes – Dreams Of Flying
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