Country-influenced Rock: Lisa Hayes' Sweet Forgiveness

I pass over a bunch of stuff like this: female singers who are trying for that Nashville sound while posing for some publicity shots in a big ol’ cowboy hat. Why did I keep listening to Lisa Hayes’ Sweet Forgiveness? She’s on the cover in her hat. She’s twangy in just the right way for Nashville and maybe some Country festivals. Why didn’t Hayes end up in my stack of Country music that doesn’t amount to anything noteworthy?

Well, first of all, Hayes fulfills a lot of things on my prerequisite list. 1) She writes her own music. All of the tracks on Sweet Forgiveness are hers (no cowrites, covers, or Brill building purchases). 2) She plays guitar. She’s more than a singer, and that distinguishes her from so many of those “I’m going to make it big in Nashville” girls. 3) The band sounds like they worked with her songs. Unlike singers who may come into the studio with a few songs that get the treatment by the session musicians, this sounds like a recording made by a band working to give life to what Hayes had already written.

Of course, even when you’ve fulfilled the prerequisites, you’ve got to show up and do the course. Hayes probably catches my ear, because there’s some hints of Maria McKee in her soulfully sad songs about lost loves. Hayes can let a little growl grow in her voice, and she can give a breathy trailing off line. Where McKee has some of that Gospel/blues shout to her voice, Hayes is perhaps closer to Mary Chapin-Carpenter, but still, you listen to a song like “Real Thang,” and it’s got that blueswoman attitude. Maybe the comparison is Tift Merritt.

Anyway, Hayes shows up with the prerequisites but also does the course with A-style, and like I said, so does the band. Michael Thompson’s contributions on accordion, banjo, lap steel, mandolin, Hammond, piano, electric and acoustic guitars does so much to fleshing out these tunes for full barroom stage sound.

Thank you to Lisa Hayes and Gracye Records for the review copy.