Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs

Well howdy! Veteran indie queen Holly’s new project with Texan bassist David Drake finds her in rootsier country than her normal home on the wrong side of the rockabetty tracks. She’s traded in her ’50s R&B fixation for a western one, turning her dark, narcotic voice to downhome country harmonies and bourbon-soaked lyrics such as: “It don’t make no difference what you get me at the liquor store/Jesus don’t love me anymore”. If there’s a fault here, it’s that while her one-time duetting partner Jack White blends the old and makes it sound new, Holly’s work can feel more like a period piece. Damn, it’s enjoyable though: ‘Medicine Water’ and ‘Black Heart’ are woozy duets that Ryan Adams would break his own wrists for.

Emily Mackay

6 out of 10