Lisa LynnI’m No Angel
As the title suggests, I’m No Angel presents Lisa Lynn in the red hot momma tradition. From the album opening “Keep Your Hands Off It” on, almost everything here has a randy edge to it. Vague pronouns and commonplace language sound like code words for getting it on, so much so that “Kitchen Man” makes “succotash” sound entertainingly dirty. Lynn and her group bring these songs to life with just enough swing and sass to make the album fun, but she’s not enough of a stylist to steal the spotlight from the songs themselves. She could also stand to be a little more attentive to her material. “Cry Me a River” has one of the great, showy rhymes, pairing “plebian” and “me, and” before returning to the verse. You really can’t add an extra “l” to the second syllable of “plebian” without it being noticed, particularly because it’s in the bridge and occurs twice in the song. Such a gaffe, unfortunately, gives listeners reason to wonder if her commitment is to being a singer, an interpreter, or simply red hot. It’s a shame because otherwise, I’m No Angel is an unassuming pleasure. Subscribe to offBeat and receive a FREE JazzFest CD! |
