While Kimmie Rhodes does appear to have been around “forever”, it’s staggering to find she actually recorded her first album in 1981 – 34 years ago! In that time, she’s managed to do what the majority of her contempories have failed to do: she’s written songs for Willie, Waylon, and even rock guitarist extraordinaire Peter Frampton. She also released 15 albums that are the spine of many country and Americana record collections.
On this, Rhodes’ 16th album, she has gone back to roots in some ways to produce an album of songs that have ’60s and 70s classic country grooves to them, while still managing to sound very contemporary. This is the type of music you dream of stumbling into, in a Nashville or Austin bar on a quiet night. Songs like “Always Never Leave”, and “Will You” have a dream-like quality I’ve not heard since Nanci Griffith’s early recordings.
Rhodes definitely goes back to her teenage years with “Don’t Leave Me Like This”, which really tugs at the heartstrings in a way that only classic country songs can. And, as usual, Rhodes uses her Sunbird House Band throughout. They sound like the cream of Austin’s players and pickers, including Johnny Goudie, who duets on the beautiful love song “I Am Falling”, which opens the album, and appears later on “Having You Around”.
A word of praise must also go to the producer, Gabriel Rhodes, who just happens to be Kimmie’s son. He’s done a wonderful job to bring out the very best in his mother’s words and voice.
It’s quite funny and more than a little bit ironic that a singer-songwriter of Kimmie Rhodes’ experience is such a breath of fresh air in this over-produced and over-hyped industry, but that is exactly how Cowgirl Boudoir comes across.
Released March 9th 2015 on Sunbird Records SBD 0020
