It was about 12 months ago that I had the pleasure of reviewing a song from an artist by the name of Kara Cole. Hers was a new name on my musical radar and she had a raw, real quality to her music. I said at the time that “Kara has a voice with depth and gravitas, it has soul and she delivers the lyrics like she's been singing since she could first walk.”
So 12 months on and we have an new track from Kara called “Johnny Cash”. Now I have heard many songs that have referenced the “great one” many times before and this sets it up with a few preconceived notions before we even hit play!
Okay, so from the get-go, we have a very Bluesy intro with some crunchy electric guitars and some deep rich drums. I like what I'm hearing. It doesn't sound like Johnny at all and that's a good thing. Then in comes the vocals, with the opening line. Its an immediate reference to Cash and then the 2nd line references one of his more famous songs. Hmm?
I'm more than a little concerned at this point, is this going to be a track, just fitting in J.R's song titles?
Phew panic cover!!! Kara's clearly a master songwriter as she's lured me in with the song title and then weaves some fantastic raw lyrics around a thumping Country-blues beat with a thin sprinkling of J.R references . I must confess, that I was sort of expecting a “Cash” tribute or something similar as I have heard in the past. (Picking guitar, train beat, etc.) But its none of the above; in fact without the JR reference, this is a damn fine song with some damn fine performances. As the old saying goes, “Never judge a book by its cover”.
So Rick, what's the song about? Well it's essentially about a relationship. This ones told from the perspective of the 1st person and that person has seen a lot of things BUT they haven't come close to being compared to “that” person. Clearly she thinks or thought the world of this “other” person and with the pain you can hear in her voice, its not ended well!
I get the feeling that its the longing one gets, when they feel, that, that special person is within their world, yet at the same time they can see them slipping through their fingers. Ultimately its a little bit of mental torture and leaves scars.
The chorus is particularly raw, its sang with tremendous emotion as the lyrics pour out. You can feel the pain and the anguish behind the lines as Kara delivers from her heart.
This is a genuine piece of Americana, its written and performed by an artist who is a genuine storyteller. She is literally laying out her heart and soul in around 4 minutes. That is a true art form and needs to be heard and shared.
The song itself is really well produced and has a sweet thumping beat and if you like a bluesy piece of rock with some Country tones then you gonna enjoy this latest offering from Kara Cole.
Its out on June 23rd on all streaming platforms. I for one will be adding this to my playlist when it drops.
Review by Rick Paris
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