Shelby Lynne Doesn’t Need to Apologize
“I didn’t choose these songs because they’re easy to sing.”
Shelby Lynne drew a good laugh from the audience at Hollywood’s intimate Ivar Theater last month when she apologized for missing a note or two in a concert paying tribute to the late Dusty Springfield. The apology was likely directed more at herself than the crowd; Shelby spent more time singing to the floor than to the seats, and the fact is that the imperfections in her performance -- they were comparatively small -- only added to the emotional content of her delivery.
Shelby, who won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2001, debuted on the country charts in 1988 before confounding observers with a series of stylistic reincarnations. Dusty’s country credentials are more tenuous; her recording of “Son of a Preacher Man” was cited among country’s 500 greatest singles in a 2003 Country Music Foundation book, Heartaches By The Number. As part of an English folk trio, The Springfields, Dusty hit the country charts exactly once, when “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” reached No. 16 in 1962.
The Hollywood concert was intended to help preview Shelby’s next album, Just A Little Lovin’, due on Feb. 5 on Lost Highway Records. Comprised mostly of Dusty remakes, save for one song written by Shelby, it’s a Norah Jones-style treatment of one of Britain’s great voices (Dusty joined the U.K. Music Hall of Fame exactly one year ago). Shelby picked out some of the songs from Dusty’s canon that are rife with engagingly unusual melodic twists, then gave them a stripped-down treatment that puts the focus almost entirely on the singer and song. That’s particularly unusual in a gadget-prone era of studio technology. Even more rewarding is that Shelby has the pipes to do it. On stage, there was no hiding, and she delivered in an appropriate manner -- oozing bereft sadness in the heartbreaking moments and belting in a quasi-Martina fashion when the songs required a more gutsy approach. Shelby is certainly allowed to apologize but it was unnecessary. Look for the album when it comes out. You’ll understand immediately.
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mladen says:
I can only say Shelby’s last couple albums are better then anything late Dusty did, including Dusty in Memphis. That is from a fan in Croatia. She is one of the finest voices today in any genre.
SJ says:
I’m a huge fan of Dusty and I have to say, Shelby’s album is both a gorgeous tribute to Dusty and a lovely album in its own right. The songs are stripped down to the bare bones and really emphasise the lyrics and the emotions behind them. Put simply, I can imagine still playing this album in decades to come and that speaks volumes about Shelby’s talent and craftsmanship as a singer and musician.
SJ says:
I only recieved my promo on Wed and I must have played it about twenty times already - its that beautiful and understated. I really hope she does some European shows to accompany the album.