Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound – “S/T”

Album Reviews | Dec 24th, 2011

Record Label: SideOneDummy Records
Genre: Country/Folk/Rock

Audra Mae has decided to get a band together, record some songs and make an album that was recorded live in one week. One could only imagine what she could do if she decided to take a couple months to make an album.

This self-titled release is the second official release for Audra Mae and the first with a full backing band. Their sound is heavily influenced by bluegrass and folk music but there are also hints of rock and roll and rockabilly sprinkled in for good measure. Being the first time hearing Audra Mae, I would have to say that I am quite impressed with the strength of her voice. She has a soulful yet powerful voice that soothes you one minute and makes your bones shake the next. She also has quite a varied range with her vocals.

“Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound” kicks things off with a rockin’ track titled “The Real Thing” that gets your feet moving and the barns a’ burnin’ while the next track is a vocal driven bluegrass-influenced acoustic song about running rampant as a youth called “My Friend The Devil”. The third track, “Little Red Wagon” sounds like Billy Joel wrote it for the band. From those three examples you can get the gist of the structure (or total disregard of) that this album follows. It oozes with diversity but the central backbone of “Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound” is most definitely country bluegrass and folk music. The album was produced by country star Deana Carter so there would be the obvious influence right there.

Folk and bluegrass music usually isn’t my cup of tea but this album is something different altogether. It truly sounds like an album from a different era from the sounds of the songs themselves to the way that it was recorded. It is more of a roots album than a modern production gem and that’s the charm of it. You could mistake a few of the tracks for something on a Loretta Lynn record if you didn’t know any better.

Whether you feel like stomping your feet to some ho-down music or if you’re just in the mood for some heartfelt love songs, you’ll find it all on this self-titled release. It’s a unique and charming listen if you’re in the mood for something out of the ordinary from SideOneDummy.

Bottom Line: A wild and raucous romp through the minds of Audra Mae and her Almighty Band that mixes everything from bluegrass to soul.
Notable Tracks: The Real Thing, Little Red Wagon, Smokin’ The Boys, Jebidiah Moonshine’s Friday Night Shack Party
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