Though it may still be the heart and soul of Country Music, Roxie Randle’s latest EP is proof that Nashville is a singer/songwriter town. Little Victory is a five-track album of deep, heartfelt lyrical matter, strong melody and vocal tandems and tight technical production. Appropriately named, the album is the result of a crossroads Randle found herself at in terms of her role as an artist. With that period of introspection behind her, Randle finds herself with a “little victory” in hand.
[youtube y5IyBs0lAZQ]The album leads with “You Don’t Know A Thing About Love” a mid-tempo allegorical track with Randle’s vocals at the forefront as she dually channels Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt. The melody is driven predominantly by piano from opening notes through to fills at the chorus. If a single emerges from the EP, betting money is on this one. “Goin’ Nowhere” is a collaboration with fellow writer Rachel Loy and lyrically, paints a picture of a relationship on the verge. Slight Country instrumentation makes an appearance with weepy, slide guitar and there sounds to be a nuanced twang in the vocal delivery, making this one appropriate for contemporary and Country radio formats. “Learning To Fly” with its slightly quirky tempo sounds like it could be the B-side of a Colbie Caillat album. Opening with Beatlesesque acoustic guitar before surrendering to the staccato pounds of piano, guitar and backing percussion. The whimsical sound of the track belies the lyrical message of overcoming adversity.
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Randle indeed has a “little victory” on her hands with this terse, but rather well done album. Again, the production was done as to allow her vocal prowess to shone as the outstanding facet of the songs and the arrangement lends the necessary peaks and valleys of any good, solid album. Perhaps an EP was the goal on this one or perhaps this is a bit of a “test run” for the songs and Randle is sandbagging the rest, but I am really curious to see how a full-length done with these same facets would play out. Pretty well, I suspect.
by Chris West – cwestlaz@gmail.com
[Rating: 3.5/5]
