Abby Travis
Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop
Educational Recordings
Since her days with the Lovedolls, Abby Travis has been in a constant process of evolution. Her music has evolved from punk into a melancholy form of cabaret. Travis has not only stirred the ghost of Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf, but whispers of David Bowie, Queen, and Elton John, circa Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, are also apparent. The songs on Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop are very moody, yet Abby Travis manages to lace some smart humor into the lyrics to keep the mood from getting too heavy. A song like “Sometimes I Wish I Had a Gun” in different hands could be quite distasteful, but Travis has a way with her delivery that allows for a line like “Sometimes I wish I had a gun so you and I could be alone. You’d be my hostage for a day, and you’d do just what I’d say.” She manages to get across the thoughts of frustration and fantasy without it being menacing or some lame feminist statement. Abby Travis has always been a rock solid bassist but has taken on drums, organ, and a rollicking piano. Although a far cry from her days with the Lovedolls, these songs that were glimpsed in their embryonic from on The Abby Travis Foundation are some of the most fascinating and well-crafted music you’re likely to hear.
http://www.abbytravis.com, http://www.educationalrecordings.com
