Dry the Rivers (Self-released, 2019)
Melody Guy
Reviewed by Robert Wooldridge
The bluegrass flavored "I Can't Live There" (co-written with Donnie Skaggs) finds Guy confronting painful memories from the past and the need to remove herself from the scene ("I'll fall right in/I'm lost again/Underneath your spell") with nice banjo work from Richard Bailey. Similarly the title track has Guy dealing with current demons ("I've got monsters creeping in/I hear voices speaking sin/I feel the darkness settle in/Under my skin") featuring Chas Williams on Dobro and slide guitar.
Guy's most impassioned vocals are on bluesy rockers such as the opening "Tangible Love" in which the singer feels disconnected from an absent lover ("You're just a voice on the phone/I need someone to touch me"), which recall Janis Joplin. Perhaps the most touching composition is the closing ballad "Shadow" (co-written with Rick Tiger) in which Guy addresses the complex relationship between a mother and daughter that progresses from closeness during childhood ("You'd follow me around and try to do the things I did") to the difficulty in letting go ("I won't change a thing in your room/Just in case you ever need to find your way back home") with Mike Daly on pedal steel and Dobro.
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Michael Webb (organ, accordion, bass, piano), the backing throughout is stellar. With strong tunes and Guy's soulful vocals, this is an entertaining listen.
CDs by Melody Guy

©Country Standard Time • Jeffrey B. Remz, editor & publisher • countrystandardtime@gmail.com
About • Copyright • Newsletter • Our sister publication Standard Time