Amy Farris:
Anyway 3 1/2 star out of 4 For more information on Amy Farris, please visithttp://www.amyfarris.com Quiet and reserved. By taking a look at Amy Farris you might not even know she’s a musician, let alone the biggest thing to happen to Yep Roc Records since Whiskeytown alum Caitlin Cary hopped on board. Farris who recently moved to Los Angeles from Austin, Texas will be releasing her long-overdue debut album “Anyway” in May. But who is Amy Farris you might ask? While many fans outside of Texas won’t be familiar with her, Farris has been involved in music her whole life ever since she was classically trained on the fiddle during her youth, to her first paying gig touring with fellow Texan Alejandro Escovedo on a cross-country trek. From that moment on, Farris had it made in the industry and is coming off a six-year stint where she sang backing vocals and played fiddle with Kelly Willis. Farris, in the latter part of her stint with Willis was yearning to hone in on songwriting and make an album. Little did she know that opportunity was going to knock for her, and she upped and answered. Dave Alvin produced “Anyway,” and Farris wouldn’t have had it any other way. “I just decided, ‘If Dave Alvin says yes to working with me, then it’s a sign, and I’m going to move heaven and earth to make it happen,” Farris said. And for Farris it seems like the perfect choice. While “Anyway” is far from what one would expect from a primarily Alt. Country exclusive label, Farris defies the odds by showing diversity throughout the album with nearly as many different styles as there are cuts. The album opens up with a fitting tribute to Willis and her husband singer-songwriter Bruce Robison with a cover of his “Driving All Night Long.” While Robison approaches the cut with poise and grace, Farris’ presentation is full of flair and confidence as her distinctive angelic voice fills the air with an ethereal sound that will grab the listener from the first note. Of the handful of originals on “Anyway,” Farris has taken each cut, and has placed her mark on each while maintaining the integrity of the song. Other covers include “Undecided” once made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, and John Doe (of X the Band fame)’s “Poor Girl.” Could this be the second coming of X? Probably not. But it’s not often that an artist that’s classically trained on violin, mandolin and viola would attempt to cover such an array of songs. But the diversity works for her. But where the focus should be placed is on that of Farris’ solid songwriting. Three original songs and three co-writes with Alvin are the bread and butter of the album – and in the long run, they’ll be what holds together a rock-steady album. While the themes throughout Farris’ originals and co-writes are similar, each has distinguishing features that set each apart from one another, both lyrically and stylistically, which says a lot about Farris’ creativity and diversity as an up-and-coming artist. Songs that standout most are the 60s girl-pop title track, the somber “Heading East”, the gutsy/bluesy “My Heart’s Too Easy to Break”, and “Pretty Dresses,” which could’ve easily been sung by Patsy Cline. The only downfall of this gem is that Farris’ talents as one of the best fiddlers to grace the state of Texas are greatly overshadowed by stellar songwriting and production, But with the perfect combination of Cosmic Americana, Western Swing, 60s era pop, and Patsy Cline-esque classics-in-the-making, Farris has offered up one of the most exciting debut efforts of 2004. |
