Billy The Kid - Horseshoes and Hand Grenades (Xtra Mile
Recordings)
 |
| Billy The Kid - Horseshoes & Hand Grenades |
On this humble blog I have
covered a huge number of Canadian artists. More than any other country apart
from the UK, in fact, but from all of those artists it is Billy The Kid, a
Vancouverite, who is top of the pile (closely followed by the Dirty Nil, since
you asked). Billy The Kid is actually Billy Pettinger, a woman with talent,
passion and a wry sense of humour who is currently touring her home country and
the USA with her namesake and likely hero, Billy Bragg. This, Billy's fourth
album, opens with 'Phone Bills' which hits you straight between the eyes
without warning and immediately you're on a rollercoaster of triumphant
melodies perfectly blended with reflective lyrics. 'Riverbank' takes things
slightly slower like a Springsteen power ballad before 'The Satellites + I'
fuses a folk melody with some pop-rock chords and a voice that could be one of
the Bangles but with more sincerity.
It is the passion and, at times,
anger with which Pettinger delivers her songs that puts her a cut above the rest
and the added slickness of the musical backing makes for something pretty
special. 'Science' is up next with a sweet'n'sour, Indigo Girls-esque tone
while 'The Quarry' is somewhere between the quiet determination of Peggy Seeger
and the mysterious qualities of Laura Marling which is a beautiful place to be.
The wonderfully titled 'This Sure As Hell Ain't My Life' has a real end of the
night in a dive bar feel to it as the guitars slither around the whiskey soaked
bar to rouse the drunk in the corner and make him or her reconsider their life
choices. Pettinger's lone voice at the beginning of 'Chelsea Rose' are
stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful and the simple acoustic riff that soon joins
in only serves to emphasise that beauty. Before you get too comfortable,
though, the ramshackle rock'n'punk of 'Back To You' rolls in reminding me of
label mates Crazy Arm mixed with a non-descript American road trip movie from
the late 80s.
There is a steam train shuffle to
the drums on 'Virginia' are wonderful subtle but provide the perfect foil for
the gently bouncing guitars before 'Lord Let Me' bounces in to view all punk
spirit, folk heart and rock'n'roll energy. As the album starts to wind up we
are treated to the delicately fragile 'Thoroughfare' which leads in to the
Johnny Cash inspired 'Walkin' Round The Hotel Blues' complete with some wailing
harmonica and a sense of yearning for being at home. Album number four closes
with 'Young + On Fire' which has elements of Bryan Adams singing with Kings Of
Leon and builds to a lump-in-the-throat inducing climax, not through power or
overblown instrumentation but through raw, honest emotion. Billy The Kid is
enormously talented and has paid her dues so I think her time is now, her place
is here and her direction is up.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/BillyTheKid?fref=ts
Live Dates:
15th September - Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland
17th September - City Winery, New York
18th September - City Winery, New York
19th September - Suffolk Theatre, Riverhead
20th September - Opera House, Bellow Falls
22nd September - Port City Music Hall, Portland
23rd September - The Playhouse, Fredericton
24th September - PEI Brewing Co., Charlottestown
25th September - NS Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
27th September - Cochrane United Church, St John's