Album Review
Kelly Willis
Translated From Love
Rykodisc Records
Purchase The Album
To say that Kelly Willis is under appreciated could very well be the understatement of the century. In the early 1990’s while on MCA Records Willis released a series of albums that should have made her a star. For some reason that no one will ever be able to explain to me country radio never really paid any attention and therefore most country fans never had the opportunity to experience Kelly’s music. MCA Record and Willis split and Willis faded from the scene until 1999 when she released the exceptional What I Deserve on Rykodisc Records. This time people took notice even though mainstream success continued to elude her. It took four years to get the follow-up record but it was worth the wait. Easy was an acoustically driven winner. Now after a five year break to raise her young children she’s back with Translated from Love and it’s her most diverse collection of music to date.
The album opens with “Nobody Wants to Go to The Moon Anymore” which is trademark Kelly Willis. The second you hear the opening like you know it’s a Willis song and it’s as strong as we’ve come to expect. The distinct lyric of the tune (“Don’t know a soul that wants to visit the moon/That bruise in the sky, that busted balloon”) seals the deal. This is a song screaming to be a single if radio would give Willis a fair shake. The rocking “I Must Be Lucky” is going to be a great song live in concert.
The lead single “Teddy Boys” is an unusual tune for Willis. The song opens with an almost Elvis flavored electric guitar intro before she sings “I’m a man in the rain/Here they come now Teddy Boys/I’m a bad man all alone/I belong here, Teddy Boys.” The song is a weird lyric but it all works and works very well mainly because of Kelly’s light hearted, fun vocal performance. Willis even tackles a David Bowie and Iggy Pop penned tune titled “Success”. The song features a heavy dose of Vox Continental organ and gang vocals from The Gourds. At first glance you might think to yourself, what in the world is going on here? But then you listen to the over the top performance and realize it’s just another in a long list of winners on this album. “Don’t Know Why” is another great tune with a heavy dose of oldies influence. The diversity of types of songs found on Translated From Love is one of it’s greatest qualities.
The bluegrass flavored “Losing You” and the mellow “Sweet Little One” show the really country side of Kelly’s music. “Too Much To Lose” could be the best track on this record. Kelly’s voice simply shines here. The album ends with the hushed title track, a simple tune both lyrically and musically but one which lets Kelly’s voice shine. It’s one of those tracks which forces you to stop whatever you’re doing and just listen.
Translated From Love is a triumphant return by one of country music’s finest voices. It’s a daring record that jumps back and forth between various musical influences and Kelly performs them all flawlessly. It’s time for people to stand up and take notice of Kelly Willis and her music. She’s been putting out consistently excellent albums over the entire span of her career and no music fan should be without a copy of Translated From Love. Kelly Willis has hit another grand slam with this record.
Album Review by Jeff Krasky
The WOC Rating Scale |
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The album stands above the rest. This is a record that every country music fan needs to have in their collection. This album is better than the average release. A strong record with some flaws that keep it from reaching that 5 star level. This album is an average country release. Doesn't posses qualities that make it stand out among all the other albums out there. A weak record that lacks solid songs or good vocal performances. Sample before you buy. This record is a bargin-bin reject that just isn't worth the time or the money. Completely misses the mark. |