Syd Straw works at her own pace when its comes to releasing solo albums. Pink Velour, her first studio CD since War And Peace in 1996, carries the credit line "Produced (very slowly) by Syd Straw." But it proves to be worth the wait, as Straw delivers an intensely personal collection of songs (ten originals plus covers of Neil Young's "Harvest" and Brian Eno's "By This River"). The disc is reminiscent of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album for its unflinching honesty, but it also has elements of Straw's quirky humor.
Releasing an album on her own label has provided Straw with a new degree of artistic freedom, even if some songs, such as the eight-minute "Unraveling", could have used a little editing. The cathartic title track details the end of her parents' marriage and its aftermath. "And I always check the weather where you are" concisely sums up her feelings about her father.
"Marry Me", featuring Robert Lloyd on mandolin, is a sweetly sung country waltz about the need for commitment that includes a lyrical curveball ("Say, if he's the best man, why am I marrying you?"). On the next song, "The Stranger I Live With", Straw does a 180-degree turn as she deals with romantic betrayal and its festering recriminations. "I said I love you, now it's your turn to leap," she sings, confronting an unfaithful lover to the accompaniment of Dave Alvin's snarling guitar.
"Actress", the final song, is the highlight of the CD and shows her strengths as a writer. Over a guitar-driven backing that recalls classic Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Straw delivers an eight-minute soliloquy on the pitfalls of the artist. "I'm not an actress, but I'm not acting now," she declares ambiguously. Straw, who has also done some acting on television, could easily do a one-woman show onstage based on this song.
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