News, Reviews and More - Media Reviews

North Country Music Magazine - July, 2002

New name Lisa O'Kane has a voice that hits you right in the midriff. When I first listened to the album, I thought her voice was slightly familiar. It was when she hit a certain range the name Kathy Chiavola came screaming at me.

Lisa grew up in California's magestic Yosemite Valley in the small town of Fish Camp (population of 36). On Saturday night O'Kane went square dancing to a traditional jug band with washboard and stand-up bass. Singing and playing classical violin throughout her childhood and later supported herself as a singer in a band. Bringing up two daughters, Lisa gave up singing, until about four years ago when she spontaneously sat in with the band at a local pub on her birthday. The bassist told her her that she was too good not to be performing. Lisa says, "That hit something in my soul and that's when the whole thing started."

Am I Too Blue was produced by California-based legend Edward Tree, who brought in much in demand musicians such as bassist Taras Prodaniuk(Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams), organist Skip Edwards(Dwight Yoakam), fiddler Scott Joss(Merle Haggard) and top-drawer backup singers Teresa James and Kellie Coffey.

Am I Too Blue offers a collection of inspiring songs, with the title cut written by Lucinda Williams, projecting the breathtaking searing vocal range that Lisa O'Kane has to offer. The first single off the album has been released by way of the June Country Hot Disc and topped the EMS chart at #1 the first week in July. This delightful song looks at how life can be a struggle, but there is alway a ray of hope behind every 'Little Black Cloud'. Lisa says of the song, "Mark Fosson and Ed Tree were lost in Nashville looking for some rehearsal studio. Mark said 'Hey, look at that big black cloud' and Ed started singing something about a little black cloud. They pulled over, wrote the song, found the studio and a few years later I got to record it. I hope they get lost more often!"

Lisa O'Kane has a hand in writing two of the songs on the album, the opening track 'Romance and Finance' with its Bo Diddley intro and 'The Valley' which was inspired by Lisa's homeland just outside Yosemite National Park. O'Kane also takes her inspiration from such magnificent songwriters as Hank Williams with 'My Sweet Love Ain't Around', K.T. Oslin's up-tempo 'Wall Of Tears' and John Prine/Gary Nocholson's emotive 'All The Way With You'. O'Kane's heartbreaking vocals on Richard Ferris's 'Lovin' You Again' affectionately touches your soul with the tormenting story of a couple falling in and out of love. Lisa also comes up trumps with Bill Monroe's bluegrass standard 'Old Cross Road Is Waitin'.

This girl from Yosemite is destined to go far. The sweet sound of Lisa O'Kane's awe-inspiring vocals are as fresh as the cool morning air of her own hometown, justly accompanied with quality musicians and 1st class arrangements. Take a deep breath of that same mountain air yourself and wallow in this tip-top album.

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