The importance of a good opening track should never be underestimated. The debut album from Canadian alt. country newcomer Lindi Ortega kicks off with ‘Little Lie’, an exhilarating slice of foot-stomping country with a touch of rockabilly madness. It’s such an enjoyable song that it makes the listener (at least, this one) immediately warm to Ortega and her combination of sugar-sweet vocals and raw down-home country guitars.
But as the album goes on, a certain mainstream country blandness starts to creep in. For every song with a bit of old-school Folsom Prison edge, there’s something that could have been sung by any of the bright blonde Nashville starlets who dominate American country radio. The terrible ‘Fall Down or Fly’ sees Ortega offering cheese-laden words of encouragement. “Don’t you give up!” she wails, as though taking part in a country-themed edition of The X-Factor.
As everyone from Calexico to Will Oldham have proved, it’s still possible to do something fresh and innovative with traditional American musical forms. But in general, there’s nothing really new or interesting going on here. It’s basically pastiche – albeit pastiche with some very good songs. There are, however, a few moments that suggest Ortega can do something more original; there’s a hint of swampiness to the slightly sinister title track, that bodes well for the future. Let’s just hope she drops the goopy ballads and concentrates on the darker side of country.