Sweet Spirit
St. Mojo
Nine Mile Records
Well, real rock and roll, sung by a real tough girl rocker! And while she’s backed with seven other kickin’ musicians, her vocals remain clear and intriguing. Best of all, Sweet Spirit comes from Austin, heartland of all things musical. “The Power” opens strong; Sabrina Ellis belts an anthem about not fitting into high school and we are on our feet. I’m in love with her sound and brass, and by the end of track two “I Wanna Have You” I’m considering buying a ticket if she comes to town. Even her titles are great, there’s a love song titled “Bat Macumba” that rocks out at 90 mph.
Later she slows down for a bit of ballad on “The Mighty;” this shows she can do slow and melodic when the fancy takes her, and “Pamela” sounds like its arranged by Nick Lowe. This is a great album if you’re in the mood for upbeat energetic songs sung with grace and vocal chords that could open a beer by themselves. A mighty, might vocalist is Ms. Ellis, and her backups are everything she needs to sound superb.
