Chrissie O’Dell wrote all but one song on this fine debut album, and she only used co-writers for three of her nine originals. O’Dell penned these emotionally honest words and melodies when she was in the midst of a divorce. Laying heart and soul on the line, O’Dell shows many different sides of one woman, before and after a painful split.
Backed by her band she calls One Hot Mess, these songs are stepped in the blues and some R&B idioms that O’Dell knows so well. Her vocal phrasing throughout hints heavily that she has a lot of old school female vocalists in her record collection. Much of her originals have the quirky lyrical metaphors of the early blues. Her song “Forecast Calls For Change” uses better weather to describe a better life after a failed relationship. Her tune “Simple Kind Of Woman” makes clear to a male companion that, whatever her desires are, she has no use for a boyfriend at this time in her life. And her “Hot Potata,” while seeming to use a well worn cliché, finds itself being placed into more modern day relationships.
Opening with title track “If I Had A Dime,” O’Dell proves herself to be a powerful vocalist with a lot of control of her dynamics. She maintains a balance between belt and whisper that contrast nicely with the edgy guitar, whistling harmonic, and bluesy organic organ underneath it all. Meanwhile, O’Dells’ voice, smooth and soulful, moves forward with confident glide. Her assertive approach does wonder for her lyrics: “Over and over/The same rendezvous/And another deja vous/About a deja vous yeah/So paint me a picture/All colored with lies/You’re saying all of the right things/But your words can draw flies.”
“Simple Kind Of Woman” is one of those slow burner blues songs that shows more of O’Dell’s swagger. She also has the gusto in her voice to back up the brutally frank lyrics she sings. Making it clear her needs and wants are basic, she let’s her lover know that she doesn’t want to hear his personal problems or his foolish lines. “Just give it to me,” she croons. Only a singer with O’Dell’s passionate soulful voice could make this song believable. “Aint gotta be a genius now/I’ll make it easy to understand/I’m a Simple kind of woman/I need a real hard man.” Her guitarist is called Brother Dave and he rings all the feistiness out of this song he can, and there’s lots yank.
O’Dell is more assertive on “Found Me A Man.” She sings her clever lyrics swiftly around a fast, movable groove, and Brother Dave cranks out the funky guitar riffs like nobody’s business. This could be the dance party hit on the CD.
O’Dell channels the intensity in the slow number “Sleep All Day,” turning it into something that sizzles on low but makes a lot of snap, crackle, and pop. Lead guitarist John Bundy brings it up nice and high, adding to O’Dell’s burn. Organist Jeremy Haum, who works with Shemekia Copeland, brings a lot of soul to this piece, making it a full-bodied blues tune with lots of soul. It is the amount of feeling boiling over, O’Dell putting herself into these songs personally, emotionally, that makes them pole vault over the good song level into something truly special, songs that make you care about them.
O’Dell gets into kick ass mode on “You Lied To Me,” her harmonica fueled gripe against a dirty double dealer. Harp man Chris O’Leary gives this the real down and dirty Mississippi Delta Blues treatment. His notes are as assertive as O’Dell’s vocal approach, and the two featured together this way gives the tune an in your face, two-prong attack of melody. The song makes you picture O’Dell jabbing at someone with her index finger while she gives him what for. I’m gonna call that other woman
give her a piece of my mind (yes I am)/I’m gonna call that other woman/Give her a piece of my mind/And then I’m gonna tell her all about that rash/That you got on your behind.”
Cover tune “Cut You Loose” by Mel London has a rocking rhythm guitar that serves as a launching pad for O’Dell’s meaningful and throaty approach. John Bendy is the rhythm man behind O’Dell, switching from rhythm to lead, giving O’Dell has a dynamic partner that can change gears as readily as she does. She forces this one forward with a lot of momentum and this makes for some tough girl dynamo. She means business and her voice hit’s the emotional bulls eye, making it an anthem all women can relate to.
“Nuthin To Lose” rocks right out. It’s got a speeded up two shuffle train beat and a hip harmonica melody galloping alongside O’Dell’s firm vocal phrasing. Combined with a bad ass rhythm section this song travels down the track and nothing’s going to stop it.
O’Dell’s soulfulness is deeply infused into her powerhouse vocal performance “I Miss You.” She has the old school blues delivery down pat. Her svelte voice carries wonderfully over the stellar, monumental organ, the instrument being the meat and potatoes of a song that makes you feel its spiritual oomph while you marvel over the musical skill. O’Dell puts herself into it completely and her vocal phrasing keeps you riveted until the very last note.
O’Dell gets her groove on in Hot Potata, a song about being in bad situations with the wrong kind of person. Her band has a brisk backbeat shuffle going on that could compel couples to dance, and the guitar phrasing turns the heat up. She closes out her CD with “Forecast Calls For A Change,” a cleverly written song about moving on after she has that moment of clarity that a relationship just isn’t working out: “The winter was long long long long/My sheets feel so cold/I wanna be/Free from this cold wind blowin/Step in from the rain/And the forecast calls for change (yes it does).” O’Dell sings this with the upbeat feel good joy of a great choir singing the good news. O’Dell is a blues lady on the rise.
www.chrissieodell.com
I’ve had the pleasure to see Chrissie sing locally over the past 18 mos. It’s been a thrill and a treat to walk into my hang and hear that sultry voice, see that genuine smile and feel it all richochet thru me like a shot of Wild Turkey on a cold winter’s nite – it just keeps on warming ya from the inside long after the last drop….
Bill,
Chris O’leary has his own band (called The Chris O’Leary Band oddly enough) and they have recently produced their own cd entitled “Mr. Used to Be’ which is being handled by the Vizztone label group and is due out on 9/7/2010. You might keep an eye/ ear out for it.
Sean Mcarthy
Chrissie has been playing Long Island NY for a few years now. From the first time i heard her, I knew she was somthing special. What a great CD!
Okay… so I may be slow – but I AM on top of things. I JUST heard about her over here on the West Coast…Oregon… I immediately emailed her — what a great woman and I am impressed with the little humbleness I heard. I am a part-time DJ and I have a bluesletter — and I’ve seen and heard many…. there’s a few that I really like — and she’s definitely one of them. I like it – like – like it!! I’ll be spinning her on our Women in Music show at 91.9 KRVM… Tuesday nights… I’m so glad I got turned on to her! What a treat — what a surprising sound out of her lungs… OH YEAH! Keep it coming!