Deanna Varagona – “Hesitation” / “Secrets for Dusty”

It’s a mood missed almost since Give It Up-era Bonnie Raitt. The lady drinks Jim Beam, laughs a bit too loudly and sinks into a borrowed bed to toss some time. Is it a yellow brick road she’ll hit tomorrow to see his smile again? If he thinks she’s so “special,” why not leave tonight? Well, the head’s a little heavy, that’s why — like the heart. “Hesitation” is the child of doubt.

This single reveals talents untapped in Deanna Varagona’s Lambchop life on baritone sax and instrumental vocals. Here she’s a bluesy, jazzy pop singer, a rustic, drawling PJ Harvey or or a grittier, bluer Nanci Griffith. Lambchop sensibilities flavor the instrumentation: heavy on bass, subtle on harmonies, colored by harmonium. Varagona strums an acoustic guitar.

On “Secrets For Dusty”, her voice wallows in the guttural to underscore her graphic imagery: “Wasnt meant to have this bundle/Tied down close by my side.,” she cries, looking over her shoulder. “An unlocked door reminds me of this constant, pulsing dread.” This first recorded solo outing begs for another.