Sarah Beatty
Bandit Queen
King of the Road Records
There are endless singer-song writers out there, and this young lady from Canada is one of the best I’ve heard in a good, long while. Sarah Beatty holds the reigns of multiple styles; she dances from jazz to soft rock to folksy country. Her backup band does it job slick and clean, and that allows her vocal take the center stage.
“Dig Before You Sow” offers a jazzed up gospel sound, the lyrics aren’t exactly religious but the message of the song is subtly so. My favorite track is “Prehistoric Sludge;” this zippy rocker takes on the fracking movement and while it has its political moments it never loses the joy of rock paean. Title track “Bandit Queen” is tucked away at the back of this collection, it’s a more challenging piece. It’s not only an old-school tough girl song, it also has a chunky, challenging rhythm line that takes more than one listen to get down into your brain box. Lastly I’ll point up”Slaves and Kings” with its 1970s smooth jazz aura and thin, poetic lyrics. The track is plaintive, beautiful and thought provoking. This album is Beatty’s third effort; I suspect there will be many more fine tunes coming from her as we bravely face the future.
