Shoutin’ Red – Introducing Shoutin’ Red

Old Becomes New Again, From Across the Seas

You may scratch your head wondering who the hell Shoutin’ Red is. Well, her name is Felicia Nielsen.  Does that help?  Probably not in any way unless you happen to be clued into Swedish music. There is very little info about her on the internet, however fortunately the music that was sent in a promo package was enough to ring some good memories.  The excellent acoustic guitar playing by her was the first tip off that this was something special, then there was here an emotive voice that fit the material she was playing.  It is just her on the disc with no additional musicians of any ilk, she more than fills the aural cavities with rich and full material.  

First thought on that this was a reincarnate Memphis Minnie, but no a young Swedish woman.  On this her first release she sticks with mostly traditional material by the likes of Blind Willie McTell, Lottie Kimbrough, Lizzie Douglas (AKA Memphis Minnie) and so forth.  Shoutin’ Red nails it, and you might be fooled if it wasn’t for the quality of the recording into thinking that she is a contemporary of these early blues masters, as few are playing this music or recording it these days, at least on this side of an ocean.  Then there are a few songs such as “Geordie” and “Seven Dark Strangers” that are very traditional British Folksongs, and she also nails them with the feel of someone brought up on Fairport Convention and  Bert Jansch.  She has a flair for taking songs and incorporating them into herself and making them her own, assimilating herself into the song so that it becomes a part of her.

This is an artist that because of her technical prowess and natural feel for a song is going to bear watching to see what may develop.  She has the skills and ability to go off on her own and develop her own or…  It will be interesting to see what happens. 

rootsy.nu/www.shoutinred.com