Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Tami Neilson, Universal Music 2018.
Tami Neilson is a Canadian born New Zealand citizen and for the last decade she has been the queen of her adopted homeland’s country and roots music scenes.
She’s picked up a handful of Best Country Album awards and an APRA Silver Scroll for excellence in songwriting.
With the release of Sassafrass (due for release 1 June on ABC Music in Australia) Neilson should no longer remain New Zealand’s secret because the album is sure to bring her wonderfully powerful vocals and slyly subversive lyrics to the attention of a much wider audience.
The album has a wonderful vintage sound that really suits her soulful presentation although there are many musical styles blended together on the disc as well as soul including blues, rock, country, and flourishes of rockabilly.
The album title is slang for a sassy person who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and it’s an apt description of Neilson herself. She admits that she’s developed “a low tolerance for bullshit” after years of encountering sexism in her life.
Neilson describes Sassafrass as “A mouthy lovechild of the current social climate and my own experiences as a woman, mother, and daughter.”
I love the album.
Neilson has infused just enough honey into her songs to sweeten her message although she still comes out smoking in the discs lead track, Stay Outa My Business, and there is barely concealed anger in the fabulously bluesy Smoking Gun.
There’s also a great bit of rockabilly guitar in the track, Kitty Cat.
She’s got a good band backing her and the production and album artwork is delightfully retro.
One of the straight country tracks on the album was written as a tribute to Glen Campbell on the day he died. Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6 is a beautifully heartfelt ballad that could have been written by Rosanne Cash.
She also includes a song that was written by her father, a 50s-styled romantic ballad, One Thought Of You, which is lovingly delivered.
This album is the second release of Tami’s that I’ve heard and I feel she’s a great talent.
Mark down the album’s release date in your diaries, she’s good.
