Thing of the Day
Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
April
27th 2011
HOLLY
GOLIGHTLY & THE BROKEOFFS – No Help Coming
(Transdreamer) - Gloriously sunny, sitting listening
to the blues kind of afternoon, could almost be summer (goddamn Mungo
Jerry riding by), and this music is perfect for such a day. Righteous
mix of god-fearing drinking, running around and don’t you go being a
self-righteous busybody about it all Mrs Johnson – that's the great
version of country legend Bill Anderson’s The Lord knows We’re Drinking
in here, alongside some excellent originals and a cover of Mr
Undertaker’s 1955 rhythm and blues cult classic Here Lies My Love
and Wendell Austin’s vintage psycho-country tune L.S.D Made a Wreck of Me
(featuring an impassioned lead vocal from Lawyer Dave).
Rich-bodied lo-fi country music, bluegrass, and gritty
stripped down tales of loading the gun because there’s no help coming.
The Brokeoffs are Holly’s two piece, and this is their fourth full
length album, the latest in something like thirty albums that she’s
been involved in. She’s quick to dismiss any notion that she’s refined
her approach during her twenty years as a recording artist. The
London-born, Georgia-based singer/guitarist has maintained a fierce set
of raw DIY principles, the positive attitude is shining here. Now that
doesn’t mean second rate quality or lo-fi being a substitute excuse for
cheap sound, this album could not be any more perfectly produced,
everything is spot-on. The Brokeoffs are a “stripped-down duo”
consisting of Holly and Texas-bred multi-instrumentalist and the
aforementioned long time collaborator Lawyer Dave, who contributes
guitars, drums and backing vocals. No Help Coming is a
whole feast of country blues, bluegrass, skiffle and that ain’t chicken
and that ain’t cheese… River
of Tears sounds like it should be a cover of a bible belt
country rock classic, originally recorded by one of those old blues
singers in one of those crossroads radio shacks somewhere around 1924
that goes on to be 
recorded by hundreds of singers and you never tire
of new versions. It is, in fact, a new original composition and the now
is just becoming then – worth the price of the album for this
alone, a beautiful piece of slow fiddle driven country music that’s
followed up perfectly by that Bon Anderson cover and all Mrs Johnson’s
Sunday school teacher self-righteousness.
Holly Golightly has been involved in some fine albums, both bands and solo projects, with Thee Headcoatees and others. This latest album is right up there with the very best she’s made…
www.hollygolightlyandthebrokeoffs.com
