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O'Kane, Lisa     It Don't Hurt    (New Light)

Lisa O'Kane has previously made two incredible records in the style of strongly traditional country. The first album, "Am I Too Blue", was dominated by carefully chosen and brilliantly performed covers. These were songs by Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Sandy Denny and John Prine and two songs by Lucinda Williams, that in Lisa O'Kane's renditions, grew considerably. But the original material was almost as good. Then, the self-penned songs dominated Lisa O'Kane's second album "Peace of Mind". Those were two records that I believed were the hardest to surpass. But here comes Lisa O'Kane's third album, "It Don't Hurt", an even better product.

  Thematically, it's very cohesive. It's a musical interpretation of a separation. Every emotional nuance is analysed in its inside ambivalence, in its very darkest rooms. It's all about bitterness, sorrow, loss, sadness. The first song proudly announces "Well I'm thinkin' maybe you could use a change of scenery / I'm thinkin' baby 'bout a million miles from me", in order to pave the way for a deeply haunting version of John Prine's masterpiece "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness", fading into a pleeding torch song: "Give Me This Night".

  And everything is concluded in Kenny Edwards' song "Misery and Happiness", where Edward Tree's metallic slide intensifies the  emotional pressure with incredible precision and pregnance. And the torn apart finds its definite expression in Lisa O'Kane's haunted composition "Pay for My Sins", burdened by the hellish metaphors of the delta blues, still with enough room for disobedient vocal attitudes, groovy barrelhouse pianos and playful wah wah guitars, all creating other nuances in the expression. One of the most beautiful expressions of the emotional ambivalence is otherwise found in "Uninvited Guests" by Debra Davis with a well worked-out and strong visual language where Lisa O'Kane sings in her purest folk voice. Teresa James contures her vocals with her second harmony. Gabe Witcher's fiddle creates deserted sadness.

  Otherwise, Lisa O'Kane swings between chrystal clear vocals in the American folk tradition and a more honky tonk flavoured, slightly rougher voice with the traditional vibrato. The arrangements are naked and full of air, contributions from the musicians are part of an entity but it also holds its own power of expression and Lisa O'Kane's ingenious mix of original material and covers also creates a strongly integrated entirety, thematically and musically.

  "It Don't Hurt" is an all together complete record in the shadowland where country meets the female singer/songwriter tradition.

  - Magnus Eriksson / Rootsy -

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