On this, their debut album,
Crash Vegas comes up with a seemingly effortless alt-country masterpiece years before alt-country even existed. The band's neo-folk-rock sound certainly had its obvious antecedents in
the Band,
Neil Young, and
Blue Rodeo, as well as, say,
Emmylou Harris, but in 1989,
Crash Vegas couldn't really be said to sound like anyone except themselves. And despite increased competition, this still holds true. The primary reason for this is, of course,
Michelle McAdorey's unique voice, which on
Red Earth is fully capable of expressing both utter heartbreak and warm-hearted tenderness, often simultaneously. But that's not to overlook the important contributions of Colin Cripps, whose work on guitar, dobro, and mandolin gives
Red Earth its distinctive textures, which range from the delicate pop sensibilities of the mandolin-drenched "Inside Out" (a Top 20 hit in Canada) through to the distorted, electrified rockabilly of "Moving Too Fast." Also worthy of note are the contributions of Jocelyne Lanois (
Daniel Lanois' sister); not only is her fine bass playing an integral part of the band's sound, but she also proves herself to be a more-than-capable lead vocalist on "It's Not Funny Anymore." As well, producer Malcolm Burn, perhaps reacting to criticism that his work on
Blue Rodeo's
Diamond Mine was a little murky and unfocused, ensures that the sound of
Red Earth is crystal clear. Finally,
Blue Rodeo's
Greg Keelor is on hand to co-write several songs, which he does with typically low-key grace (although the album's non-
Keelor co-writes are every bit as good). But perhaps the ultimate compliment is this:
Red Earth contains one cover song, a version of
Neil Young's "Down to the Wire," and the rest of the songwriting on this album either meets or surpasses
Young's standard. Few other bands could say that about any of their albums, let alone their first. Quite simply, this well-written and excellently performed album is a must-own proposition for anyone interested in Canadian roots rock, folk-rock, or good rock music in general. ~ Rudyard Kennedy