Released by: Don Giovanni Records
Release date: 13 October 2015
Genre: Rock
Links: laurastevenson.com , Facebook
Lineup:
Laura Stevenson – Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Piano
Mike Campbell – Bass Guitar
Alex Billig – Accordion, Trumpet
Peter Naddeo – Guitar, Lap Steel, Mandolin, Banjo, Glockenspiel
Sammi Niss – Drums
Track Listing:
01. Out With A Whimper
02. Torch Song
03. Jelly Fish
04. Ticker Tape
05. Emily in Half
06. Diet of Worms
07. Happier, Etc.
08. Fine Print
09. Claustrophobe
10. Life is Long
11. Tom Sawyer/You Know Where You Can Find Me
Cocksure is the new album from the New York based singer/songwriter Laura Stevenson. Liz Phair, The Replacements and The Lemonheads influence her. The songs on her album are rather short, but overall it is a very diverse record and an actually pretty good sounding album. Vocally it reminds me of Belinda Carlisle meets The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs. Musically speaking it is 80s meets 90s alternative rock based, sounding similar to The Pretenders meets Stevie Nicks meets Patti Smith. It is her 4th record, so she has been in the music business for quite a while now. The album features musicians Mike Campbell, Alex Billig and Peter Naddeo, and was mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Joyce Manor, Deafheaven, Tony Molina) at Atomic Garden Studios in Palo Alto, California. If we run through the track listing, it starts with Out With a Whimper (a slow tempo alternative rocker), followed by Torch Song (an early 80s catchy pop rocker like Patti Smith meets Pretenders meets Pat Benatar, bit quirky, but classic guitar rock and roll riff here, basically a great tune!!!!!!!!), Jellyfish (catchy up-tempo rocker), Ticker Tape (slow tempo and very calm), Emily in Half (nice catchy melodic pop rocker, a little Heather Nova-ish, Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks as well, slight AOR touch!), Diet of Worms (nice slow tempo alternative rocker), Happier, Etc. (catchy punky faster up-tempo rocker a la The Donnas), Fine Print (nice slow tempo), Claustrophobe (nice mid tempo rocker a-la The Cranberries/Skunk Akansie), Life is Long (nice up-tempo rocker, catchy a la The Bangles!!!!) and closing track is Tom Sawyer / You Know Where You Can Find Me (nice mid tempo all rocker like Alannis Morisette). All together a very nice diverse album that rocks and worth checking out.
Written by: Gabor Kleinbloesem
Ratings: Gabor 8/10
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